Reuniting in Fear
by moi-moi819
Summary: Sequel to "Drowning in Power". A WITCH was now the king of all ghosts? Was this the start of a new world order or the next Ghost-Witch War? With so much power and authority under her belt, Kagome has become even more of a target for ghosts and witches alike. Can Danny keep her safe while struggling with his own demons? Or is he in more danger than she is? Danny/OC, Vlad/OC
1. When Karma Comes Knocking

Moi-Moi: I'm so excited! And I just can't hide it! Let me be the first to welcome you to the final installment in this Danny Phantom trilogy! I just want to thank every single person who read the first story and has continued to support me. I can't tell you how much it means to me. I write for fun, but I love it when you guys enjoy what I write. So, THANK YOU!

~:~

Clockwork was turning away at the dial on his staff with a look of concentration on his face. Normally, Clockwork lived in solitude in his clocktower of a lair. Not many ghosts visited, but that was fine with him. Clockwork wasn't a fan of pointless chatter. Everything had to have a point- a purpose. But there was always the rare occasion that he did get a visit. Usually, the company was a nuisance- a ghost asking to go back in time because they screwed something up or the Observants barking demands at him. It was always extra tiresome because of who he was. Being the master of time, he'd already seen and experienced the visits many times over. Unfortunately, the Observants had been visiting more often than not since Pariah Dark had been eliminated.

Speak of the devils...

"Clockwork, we must have a word with you," one of the Observants said and pointed a bony finger at the middle-aged Clockwork.

"Oh?"

"You have failed to eliminate the witch. We charged the task to you and instead you visit her and leave cryptic warnings," the other Observant in the room reprimanded.

"It is imperative that she be taken out. She must be destroyed for the good of the world!" the first Observant shouted.

"The good of the world? Or for the good of ghosts?" Clockwork replied before gazing into the swirling time portal in the room. "I think she has proven to not be an enemy of ghosts."

"She murdered the former ghost king!"

"Who was an enemy of ghosts. Or have you forgotten how you banded together and overthrew him? With the help of a witch no less," Clockwork said without facing them. At the loud sputters they were releasing, he smirked.

"You've bent the rules to your liking for the ghost boy, Danny Phantom. Don't tell us now that you're going to do the same for this witch?"

Clockwork gazed into the swirling portal just as it was revealing the image of Kagome and Danny playing fetch with a dog at the park. "His future is already intertwined with hers. I can't keep watch over him without also doing the same for her," Clockwork said. "Then again, I'm not worried. I quite look forward to seeing what our new king has to offer," Clockwork finished with a low chuckle before the image in the portal changed. The new image was one of Kagome surrounded on all sides by countless ghosts. Almost like a pack of wild animals, they quickly descended on the terrified witch.

~:~

"Hello, students. Let me be the first to welcome you to the first day of your final year at Casper High," Mr. Lancer droned as he stood at the podium on the stage. The crowd of teenagers below him hardly filled out the auditorium, but that was only because Lancer was taking the time to speak directly to this year's senior class. "Now, I would like to go over a few very important points that I want each and every one of you to keep in mind as you go forward. This is your _final_ year of high school. Which means that you all are standing on the line between adolescence and adulthood."

"Geez. Is Lancer going to give us " _the talk_ "?" Danny mumbled and slouched in his seat. While Sam shushed him, Tucker and Kagome laughed quietly. At hearing Kagome's soft giggle, Sam's reprimand didn't bother Danny so much.

"This year is very important for you seniors because a large percent of your time will be devoted to preparing for college. In October, Casper High will be administering the SATs so I hope you all spent the summer studying and preparing for it," Lancer said with a knowing look as he gazed down at the students.

Kagome averted her gaze. She _wanted_ to study, but she had been a bit _preoccupied_. But there was still time to make a difference. Yeah. Definitely. She just had to buckle down and focus. She didn't have time for the possible end of the world... Kagome sighed softly and slumped. Who was she kidding?

"This upcoming year, there will be a few changes to the curriculum to help prepare you all for the world and college academics. So, study hard, keep on task, and it is my hope to be seeing you all for the _final_ time in the spring to hand you your diplomas," Mr. Lancer finished.

~:~

"Can you believe it? We're in our last year of high school! Soon, we'll be in college and living on our own," Tucker exclaimed. Tucker walked at Danny's right while Sam walked on Danny's left through the halls of Casper High. There were a few students busy at their lockers, talking, or hurrying to class.

"Tell me about it. What are you going to do, Danny?" Sam asked.

Danny shot Sam a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, how's Danny Phantom gonna keep watch over the town when he's away at college?" Sam clarified.

"Maybe he won't," Danny answered with a shrug. Sam raised a brow. "I mean, Kagome's mom will still be here. I'm sure she can handle a little ghost attack. Ghosts are afraid of witches anyways so it might not even be a problem."

Sam shot Danny a dubious look. "So you're just going to give up on fighting ghosts?"

"Well, if there's a situation, I'll handle it," Danny placated. "But there's no sense in looking for a fight."

"I think you've got bigger fish to fry, dude. You remember what Clockwork said," Tucker reminded.

"Yeah. Don't remind me. He made it sound like the end of the world. But that was weeks ago and nothing has happened yet. All the waiting is starting to drive me nuts," Danny groaned. Rubbing his hand over his face, Danny refocused on his path but his eyes caught something that left his irritation rising. Kagome was standing at her locker sorting through her textbooks. But it was the sight of Dash looming over her with a flirtatious smirk on his face that really ticked Danny off.

"Geez. You think Dash would have learned by now," Tucker commented.

"The words _Dash_ and _learn_ don't belong in the same sentence," Sam said dryly. After glancing around quickly, Danny made an invisible duplicate that went straight for Dash.

Kagome tried not to roll her eyes at Dash, but he was making it increasingly difficult. "Yeah. I'm pretty much guaranteed for a football scholarship to Ohio State. I might get my own apartment after I move," she heard him brag.

"That's great, Dash," she replied in a dry tone with false enthusiasm.

"Or I might live out of my car and only take showers in the sinks on campus. It won't be anything different. It's what I do now!" Dash exclaimed proudly.

Kagome straightened before shooting Dash a strange look. Immediately, she saw it. She could see the neon green glow in Dash's eyes and feel the ghostly energy emanating from Dash. "Danny? What are you _doing_?" Kagome whispered harshly.

"Isn't it _obvious!?_ I'm trying to prove that I'm _way_ better than Fenton! I mean, why wouldn't I? You're so hot, you melt the plastic in my leak-proof diapers!" _Dash_ exclaimed loudly for everyone in the hall to hear. Out of the corner of her eye, Kagome could see people holding up their phones to film this. Kagome's cheeks flared as she quickly shut her locker and attempted to flee. "Don't run away! I was about to show you this sore on my elbow! I think it's infected, but I need a second opinion."

After pushing Dash's elbow out of her face, Kagome used her magic to force Danny out of Dash's body. That's when she heard the loud laughter. Looking around her, she spotted several students laughing their butts off- _including_ Danny and Tucker. While the jock was dazed from the overshadowing, Kagome quickly stomped away from the scene. Talk about _embarrassing!_

~:~

All the seniors at Casper High were being required to take Life Sciences in their last year. The class was normally required for freshmen, but since almost every senior had managed to flunk the class after a cookie incident three years ago, they were allowed to take the class again. Ms. Tetslaff was (unfortunately) teaching the class again. As the bulky woman practically stomped into the room, she glared at all the faces looking up at her. Almost the entire senior class was here, excluding Sam Manson who had passed the class the first time around. "Alright, maggots. Listen up! You are all here because you were unfit parents," Tetslaff started. "Excluding Ms. Takahashi who has never taken the class," she corrected.

Clearing her throat loudly, Tetslaff started pacing in front of the rows of desks. "So, you all will be taking the course this semester with these," Tetslaff said and held up a plastic baby doll in a pink onesie. "I will be assigning the parents and babies. You all should know the routine by now. Treat your baby like you would your own flesh and blood. You injure, mistreat, or destroy your baby, you and your partner _will_ fail and neither of you can look forward to graduation. _Capiche_?"

When Tetslaff had her back turned, Danny quickly turned around to face Kagome. He smiled softly at her before whispering, "Wish we could at least pick our partners this time around."

Kagome narrowed her gaze at Danny before harshly whispering back, "I'm not talking to you."

"What? What did I do?" Danny asked, barely keeping his tone low.

"I'll have you know that the video of Dash talking about his _leak-proof diapers_ has almost five hundred views on UTube."

Danny chuckled softly, but at Kagome's disapproving look he sobered up. "Dash started it by flirting with you. He knows we're together," Danny replied grumpily.

"That doesn't give you the right to misuse your powers like that, Danny. You _know_ that I'm not interested in Dash. You didn't need to get jealous," Kagome said.

" _Jealous!?"_ Danny exclaimed.

" _Fenton!"_ Ms. Tetslaff exclaimed and slammed her thick hand down onto Danny's desk. Danny jumped at once and quickly spun around in his seat. With a startled expression, Danny swallowed thickly. "I know I may not look as pretty as your girlfriend, but _I'm_ who you're supposed to be paying attention to."

Rather than answer, Danny sunk lowly in his seat as the soft chuckles of his fellow seniors weighed down on him. He could feel Tucker's sympathetic gaze, but it didn't help much. Tetslaff straightened before placing a doll in a pink onesie on Danny's desk. "When I call your name, move next to your partner. You're gonna spend the rest of the period working out schedules and figuring out the best way to care for your bundles of joy," Tetslaff said and held up a clip board. "Foley, you're with Gray..."

Tucker shot a skeptical look at Valerie while Valerie sent him a warning glance. Tucker got the message loud and clear. " _You better not screw this up for me!"_

"Fenton, you're partnered with Sanchez."

Danny winced slightly. Great. He'd really hoped that he would get Kagome for his partner. If this had been freshman year, he would have been thrilled to have Paulina. But now, all he was feeling was dread.

"Baxter, you're with Takahashi."

Danny's heart skipped a beat. He suddenly sat up straighter just as he heard Dash's triumphant cry of " _Yes!"_ from across the room. The rest of the pairs went right over Danny's head. He couldn't help but think about something that Sam had said to him about karma...

"Alright. Sit with your partners and get to work," Tetslaff barked.

Danny watched Kagome pick up her things and move over to Dash and the blue bundle he held on his arm. When Danny locked gazes with Dash, he couldn't help but glare. Instead of returning the glare, Dash smirked. Once Kagome was seated, he made a show of stretching his free arm around her chair. Danny barely held back a growl.

" _Excuse me,"_ Paulina huffed and snapped her fingers in front of Danny's face. He blinked twice before looking over at her. "We have to work together on this and I'm not about to let you screw this up for me. If I fail, don't graduate and get held back, I'll claw your eyes out," Paulina promised in a warning tone. Danny couldn't help but feel like there was someone up there laughing at him.

~:~

Moi-Moi: Uh, yeah Danny. Me! XD I'm dying of laughter over here!

Don't forget to vote and comment your support for Danny! He could use some right about now.

Next time: _"I still do not appreciate a boy being in the room when the door is closed," Vlad said with a deep frown._

What do you guys think? I want to try out having a little sneak peak at the end of chapters now. ;)


	2. Back to the Good Old Days

Moi-Moi: Hey guys. Sorry this took so long to upload. I've been procrastinating when I'm SUPPOSED to be writing. But, no more of that! This, I SWEAR!

~:~

Vlad hummed to himself as he tied his red bolo tie around his neck. He had gotten up after ten today, a new habit that he had picked up in the past weeks. Pulling down his black jacket from a hanger on the closet door, he slipped it over himself with a pleased look. While buttoning the white buttons, he let his blue eyes roll over to the unconscious body laying in the bed. An unmoving, lump was buried under the white cotton sheets with a tangle of black waves spreading out on the white pillow. With a soft smile, Vlad approached the bed and took a seat next to the lump. With a gentle touch to the arm, Vlad hummed a wake-up call. His pleasant greeting with met with annoyed grumbling and muttered, Japanese curses. "It's time to wake up, my dear. We have a busy day ahead of us," Vlad reminded brightly. Vlad grinned brightly at the sight of a dark brown eye narrowed threateningly at him. "Weren't _you_ the one who said that we had to meet with the wedding planner to finalize details for the cake and guest list?"

"Why are you so eager? I thought the man was supposed to sit back and let the woman do everything," Kimiko grumbled and tugged the sheets over her head.

"Now, there will be none of that, Kimiko. It's already after ten," Vlad said in a reprimanding tone before phasing Kimiko out of the sheets. As usual, he received a mild sting for the bold use of his ghostly powers on her, but it was more than bearable.

Like a stubborn child, Kimiko moaned loudly before pulling away and attempting to return to the comfort of her bed. Vlad was momentarily frozen by the sight of his adorably messy-haired fiancée in a familiar dark green and gold jersey with bold, white "00" on the front and "MASTERS" on the back. He wasn't ashamed to say that he had been the one to give her the jersey and he _definitely_ wasn't ashamed to say that it had been a good choice. "The wedding planner is coming to us and she won't be here until _eleven,"_ Kimiko complained after managing to slip away.

"Not that I'm complaining, but you're still dressed in your night clothes. If we're going to get married in October- like _you_ wanted- we need to finalize these things," Vlad pointed out.

"Alright fine. It's just picking a design for the cake and one addition to the guest list," Kimiko grumbled as she got up from the bed.

"I didn't think we had anyone else to invite. But if you say so," Vlad mused and went about adjusting his jacket.

Kimiko paused and placed a sweet grin on her face. While Vlad wasn't looking, she quickly tried to pass her fingers through her hair to make herself a bit more appealing. "Yes. I couldn't help but notice that the Fenton party hadn't gotten their last invitation..."

Vlad froze. "I don't recall that. I made sure that Maddie, Jasmine and even Daniel were on the list," Vlad informed. He hadn't cared to invite Daniel, but both Kimiko and Kagome had been adamant. In the end, what could go wrong from inviting his teenaged rival to his wedding?

"You're forgetting a Fenton," Kimiko pointed out with a knowing look.

Vlad pursed his lips in thought. "Is there another Fenton to invite? I don't recall."

" _Vlad,"_ Kimiko started with a deep sigh. "I spoke to Maddie. She says that Jack has practically been moping about the house. He can't understand why he didn't receive an invite to the wedding."

"I think it's _quite_ clear why Jack didn't receive an invite. He's _not_ invited," Vlad answered with a dangerous look on his face.

"Vlad, don't you think you're taking this grudge a bit too far? You're getting married next month to woman who _isn't_ your old crush. I think it's time to let this go," Kimiko pointed out. "Besides, Jack still considers you his best friend and I think on some level you feel the same for him."

Vlad actually barked a laugh. When he faced Kimiko, he froze at the familiar expression on the small woman's face. Her eyes were narrowed, arms folded over her chest, and foot tapping steadily on the carpet. "Kimiko, it's not so simple. Jack and I have a complicated history. He-"

"It's quite simple, Vlad. In some immature show of stubborn spite, you want to cut Jack out of one of the most important days of your life. You may not be willing to accept it, but if you don't bury this hatchet once and for all, so help me you will be standing at that altar alone," Kimiko threatened. It was a bluff, but Vlad didn't need to know that.

"You can't be serious!"

"I'm completely serious. I will not marry a _child,_ Vlad Masters. Now, you are going to go across the street and _personally_ invite Jack to the wedding and ask him to be your best man," Kimiko ordered before walking around him and towards the bathroom.

" _Best man!?"_ Vlad almost squeaked. "Kimiko, be reasonable-!" Vlad started but was cut off by Kimiko waving a dismissive hand at him. One second, he was standing in her bedroom, the next he was being literally pushed from the bedroom by an invisible force. When he stopped moving, Vlad looked up to see that he was standing on the Fenton's stoop. _Butter biscuits._ With a grimace and low groan, he reluctantly raised a hand to knock twice on the door. When he didn't immediately receive a response, Vlad quickly turned to descend the stairs. _Obviously,_ no one was home.

"Hello? Oh! Vlad, what are you doing here?"

Vlad froze with an irritated look on his face. Quickly schooling his expression, he about-faced and shot Maddie a bright smile. "Maddie! You look wonderful."

"Thank you, Vlad. What can I do for you?" Maddie asked with her arms folded and a suspicious look on her face.

"I've come to see Jack. Is he home?" Vlad replied while praying that the oaf was out of the house or had managed to knock himself unconscious with one of his ridiculous inventions.

"He's in the kitchen," Maddie replied and stepped aside to allow Vlad entry. She watched Vlad step inside with hawk like focus. What was he planning? It was bad enough that he hadn't sent Jack a wedding invite and left her usually good-spirited husband in an everlasting funk.

Vlad spotted Jack sitting at the kitchen table poking at a large plate of food on the table in front of him. Eyeing the dish of fried eggs, toast, and bacon, Vlad couldn't help but feel that Kimiko could have made him something far superior. When Jack glanced up, his eyes widened in surprise and... hope? "Vladdy? What are you doing here?" Jack asked in a tone that leaked of childlike hopefulness.

Vlad internally grimaced. He'd need his best if he hoped to pull this one off. Then again, he'd been lying to Jack for years. One more lie would be child's play. "You'll have to forgive me, Jack. I've been so busy that I wasn't able to make time for us to have our fittings. But I made time for it today if you're not too busy," Vlad said with a smile.

"Fittings?" Jack asked with a confused expression.

"Why of course! For our suits. No offense, Jack. But there's a strict dress code and not just any old suit will do. After all, you are my... _best man,"_ Vlad admitted with a deep frown. Suddenly, Vlad felt air being literally squeezed out of his lungs just as Jack pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. "Jack...too tight..."

"Oh, V-Man! I _knew_ there had to be some kind of mistake at the post office or something! I _told_ Maddie, but she wouldn't listen to me," Jack announced happily.

"I guess you were right, Jack," Maddie said with a shrug. "It was just _suspicious_ that we all got our invitations together, but you never received one," Maddie said as she eyed Vlad distrustfully.

"Well, I didn't think it was necessary to send one. I thought it was obvious that my best man was invited, but I'll make sure to have one delivered," Vlad said in a hoarse voice as he rubbed his bruised ribs.

"Aw, don't worry about it, Vladdy! It just means the world to me that I can be your best man at your wedding. You'll never know how much I missed having you there as my best man at my wedding," Jack finished in a somber tone.

Vlad eyed the larger man for a few seconds. Jack was telling the truth. He'd never lied to Vlad before. Vlad could see it in Jack's bright-eyed stare. "You would have had me as your best man?" Vlad had to ask.

"Of course! I wouldn't have had it any other way. There wasn't anyone else I could ask," Jack admitted sheepishly. "You're my best friend, Vlad."

Vlad sighed softly. "You're...my best friend as well, Jack. Let's go. We don't want to miss our appointment," Vlad said and patted a hand on Jack's upper arm.

"You bet! I'm driving!" Jack announced before grabbing Vlad's arm and yanking him from the room. Vlad stared frightfully at the orange back in front of him and couldn't help but bemoan just _what_ had he gotten himself into.

~:~

"The man is insufferable, Kimiko!" Vlad shouted with his arms waving in wild gestures.

"Uh huh..." Kimiko droned as she smiled softly and stirred the stir fry that she was making.

"Have you ever seen him drive!? I believe that I am one of the few people to have gotten in a car with him and survived! He is completely reckless! He nearly hit a stop sign!" Vlad complained as he paced the kitchen floors.

"Uh huh..."

"And when we finally made it to the tailor, it took _forever_ to find a suit in his size. The man is larger than should be physically allowed! It took ages to find a suit that would fit correctly."

"Oh really?"

"And _don't_ get me started on how embarrassed I was when he didn't know the difference between a peak and shawl lapel!"

Kimiko barely held back her giggles. Despite how much he was ranting about Jack's behavior, Kimiko could tell that Vlad did look a bit lighter. Almost as if he was starting to come to peace with himself and- by extension- Jack. Turning away from the wok, Kimiko smiled brightly at Vlad. "I'm proud of you, hun. You did a good thing for your relationship with Jack. You just have to be patient with him. Try to remember how you got along with him back before your accident," Kimiko said as she approached him. Slipping her arms around his shoulders, she smiled brightly before placing a chaste kiss to his lips.

Before their kiss could any deeper, the sound of a shrill scream captured their attention. It sounded like it had come from upstairs. More importantly, the feminine scream had sounded absolutely terrified. "Kagome!" Kimiko shouted as she rushed out of the kitchen. Vlad was quick to transform into his ghost half and fly up to the room.

This was it! After hearing Kagome relay the news of her future that the time master, Clockwork, had predicted, the family had been on edge. They still went about daily tasks like normal, but there was always a tenseness to their movements. Once she got to Kagome's door, Kimiko blew the door open and looked around the room. Vlad was already floating in the room, his red eyes narrowed and his hands glowing magenta.

"Mom! Vlad! What are you _doing!?_ " Kagome shouted from where she was sitting up on her bed.

Kimiko immediately went over to her daughter. "Kagome, are you hurt? We heard a scream."

"It wasn't me. It was Dash," Kagome clarified as she moved out of her mother's embrace and stomped over to where Dash was being held captive in the corner of her room.

"And what is a _boy_ doing in here?" Vlad asked dangerously as he eyed the blond boy.

"I caught this infiltrator in the king's chambers attempting to get far too close. Did you plan to launch a sneak attack, whelp?" Fright Knight asked as he glared threateningly at Dash. Dash whimpered before screaming loudly.

"Fright Knight popped in my room and scared Dash. We were working on our Life Sciences project. _Nothing_ happened. Put him down, Fright Knight," Kagome commanded. Almost reluctantly, the Fright Knight dropped the boy onto his rear and allowed him to scurry away.

"I still do not appreciate a boy being in the room when the door is closed," Vlad said with a deep frown.

"Okay. It's obvious we made a mistake," Kimiko soothed. Spying Dash crouched in a corner of the room, she approached him with a reassuring smile. Before he could get a word out, she touched his forehead and spelled him unconscious. "Vlad, can you help me move him?"

"I don't think it's possible for my life to get any weirder," Kagome groaned.

"My liege, I will return to the Ghost Zone in order to oversee the construction of your castle. If it pleases you, of course," Fright Knight said and bowed.

"Sure. Go nuts," Kagome replied with a sigh. Using her magic, she was able to levitate her door from off the ground, place it back into place, and fix the hinges.

"Sorry for the mess, sweetheart. We'll be downstairs if you need us. Dinner is almost ready," Kimiko said as she ushered Vlad out of the room.

"Yes. So make sure to send him straight home as soon as he wakes up," Vlad urged and pointed to Dash's unconscious body that was snoring loudly on Kagome's bed.

Kagome sighed loudly as she watched Vlad and her mother leave the room. Plopping down onto her bed, she pulled her knees up under her chin. "I'm going to cause the biggest crisis between living and nonliving creatures everywhere. I'm trying my best to stay away from ghosts and the Ghost Zone, but..." Kagome said with a sigh. "For my entire life, I've always been proud of being a witch. It's my heritage. But now, I just wish I was a normal human like you," Kagome mused as she glanced over at the snoring Dash.

~:~

"I _swear_ it felt so _real_!"

"I don't know what to tell you, Dash. But do you hear yourself? You're saying a ghost knight broke into my room and tried to kill you, then my _mom_ knocked my door down like the Incredible Hulk, and a vampire ghost came out of nowhere? Sounds like a crazy dream to me," Kagome said as she stared up at Dash with dubious eyes. Dash had been waiting for her the next morning in front of the school with their "baby" in his arms. Of course he had a few _concerns_ about his "dream" last night. Kagome had considered using a spell to wipe last night's events from his memory and now she was seriously regretting her decision not to.

"Yeah. I guess," Dash agreed as he scratched the back of his head. When he looked up, a wide smirk over took his face. "So, _honey_ , think you can keep an eye on Dash Jr. for first period?" Dash said in a loud voice.

Even without her magic, it was easy to tell that Danny had just made an appearance. Kagome didn't appreciate Dash's attempts at making Danny jealous. She had already told him to stop _several_ times! But being as hard-headed as he was, Dash didn't listen. With a roll of her eyes, Kagome responded in an exasperated tone, "Don't call me honey."

Dash couldn't take his smug gaze off Fenton. The loser was just too easy to rile up! A few pet names and an arm around Kagome's shoulder was usually enough to turn Fenton's face redder than a tomato! Once Kagome took the doll from his arm and turned to join Fenton, the most amazing idea ever presented itself to Dash. Fenton was about to lose it...

"We can't go over to my place instead this time. Meet you here after school, hun," Dash said in a loud, exaggerated tone. Fen-toenail already looked ticked off enough to kill, but Dash wasn't done just yet.

Kagome spotted the death glare on Danny's face. While Sam and Tucker eyed him warily, Kagome reached a hand out towards him. She rested the hand on his cheek and offered him a sympathetic smile. "It's only a few more days," she promised him softly. Just as she was about to take her enraged boyfriend's hand, Kagome felt an unfamiliar sting on her rear. She heard a slapping sound before she heard Dash's loud guffaws. It took a few seconds for her process that _yes,_ Dash had just smacked her butt.

Danny was speechless for about 1.6 seconds before his eyes flashed green. All the blatant flirting, inappropriate pet names, and constant leering glances quickly played through his mind. He was gonna to pummel Dash! No, he deserved worse than a simple beating. But before Danny could make a move, he felt a sudden spike in Kagome's magic. He was sure that no one else could feel it, but Danny couldn't ignore the small jolts that were running over his skin. All his anger at Dash was forgotten, replaced with concern for Kagome. He didn't get a chance to ask her if she was alright, however. Faster than lightning, Kagome had shoved the doll into his arms and rounded on Dash. He had expected her to give Dash the biggest chewing out of his life. It definitely wasn't the first time. He _hadn't_ expected Kagome to yank the jock by his shirt collar before socking him in the eye.

When Dash stumbled backwards and actually _fell_ onto the pavement, everyone's jaws dropped. Dash stared up at Kagome in pure shock, his hand tenderly cupping his already-throbbing eye. He could see the anger on the girl's face and swallowed thickly. The glasses-wearing loser that was standing behind Fenton was laughing loud enough for the whole school to hear. Dash felt the heat rush to his face as everyone in the vicinity started whispering and taking pictures. Oh _man._ This was gonna be even worse than that video of him talking about leak-proof diapers!

"Try that again, and I'll knock your teeth out," Kagome warned him before turning, taking a smirking Fenton by the hand, and stomping up the steps into the school.

"Did you _see_ that!? Man, this just isn't Dash's week," Dash heard someone say as they passed by.

~:~

Moi-Moi: Oh Dash. Will you _ever_ learn? Well, maybe you will now.

Next time: _She'd never seen anything like it. Cryokinesis was a rare power for a ghost to have but she could sense the familiar cold from within him as plain as day! Perhaps he could be of more use to her alive than dead..._


	3. The Yuki-Onna

Moi-Moi: Hey guys! I'm gonna try something new and introduce a new ghost to the universe! So, I'll give you some extra background information on the Yuki-Onna (or "Snow Woman"). According to Wikipedia, the Yuki-Onna is a spirit in Japanese folklore who appears on snowy nights as a tall, beautiful woman with blue lips and long, black hair. Like Danny, she has the power of cryokinesis.

I was trying to think of a ghost I could use in this chapter, but there wasn't one that hadn't been used yet and would pose a decent enough threat to Danny. So, I made one up! And by "made up", I mean TOTALLY ripped off a real legend. It's not like it hasn't been done before. The show has Pandora's ghost for Pete's sake.

Hope you enjoy!

~:~

 _"Goooooooood morning, Amity Park! It's twenty-seven minutes past the hour on this bee-utiful Thursday morning! I would say that the sun is up and the skies are clear if they were, but it looks like we have a bit of unpredictable weather this morning..."_

Danny rolled over with a groan before burying his head under his pillow. He hadn't been up too late last night, but he was still feeling too tired to want to leave his bed. Danny heard the sounds of some random noises (courtesy of the radio station DJ) before deciding to pull himself out of bed.

 _"You heard it here, folks. I thought the planet was getting hotter, but it looks like Mother Nature felt like shaking things up this morning!"_

Standing with a deep stretch, Danny glanced outside his window. His eyes widened in surprise. "No kidding..." he muttered as he spotted the frost on his window pane and the softly falling snow. Since when did it snow in September? Things were just starting to cool down as fall started. It was _way_ too early for snow.

Hearing his phone chime loudly, Danny picked it up to see that he had received a text message.

Kagome: **Is this ur way of trying to get out of school? XD**

Danny smirked and replied.

 **I didn't do this but I wish I had thought of it sooner.**

~:~

Danny tucked his hands in his pockets as he walked to school with Sam and Tucker. He could see people walking the streets and shivering dramatically. It must be colder than he thought. Naturally, the cold didn't bother him so much, but for the average human this must be torture. Feeling a sudden whip of cold air on his face, Danny shielded his face with his arm.

"Geez. What's up with this weather?" Danny asked once the winds had stopped.

"No idea. I don't suppose you can shoot a ghost ray up at the skies and make it stop?" Tucker asked with visible breath.

"Sorry, Tuck. Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll cancel class for the day," Danny replied with a chuckle. His breath came out in matching puffs of mist.

Suddenly, Danny felt a chill go up his spine. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end and goosebumps encompassed his skin. Freezing in place, Danny quickly turned to look around him in confusion. Sam and Tucker stopped as well, looking at Danny curiously. "Did you guys feel that?" Danny asked.

"Feel what? My toes freezing over?" Sam asked.

"No. It was weird. I felt this chill..."

"Dude. It's like twenty degrees," Tucker acknowledged.

"No. It was a creepy chill. Like when you feel someone watching you," Danny tried to explain.

"I don't see anyone, Danny," Sam said as she looked around the street behind them.

Danny frowned deeply. "Maybe I imagined it. Come on. Let's go."

~:~

She had had every intent on freezing the boy and the two others with him, but something had stopped her. She'd never seen anything like it. Cryokinesis was a rare power for a ghost to have but she could sense the familiar cold from within him as plain as day! Perhaps he could be of more use to her alive than dead...

~:~

Mr. Lancer pushed open the classroom door with a neutral expression on his face. As usual, the loud chatter that he had been hearing just seconds before he opened the door immediately ceased as his students faced forward and waited for him to speak. "Alright, take out your textbooks and turn to page thirty-two," Mr. Lancer started and turned around to begin writing on the board. When he felt the soft impact of a paper ball on the back of his skull, Mr. Lancer sighed deeply. Another year, another senior class more disrespectful than the last.

"Mr. Lancer, I don't know if you noticed, but there's like almost a foot of snow outside," Star pointed out.

"Are we going to have to walk home in that?" Paulina asked with an incredulous expression.

"Why haven't they canceled school yet? This is practically a state of emergency!" Dash exclaimed.

Mr. Lancer glanced at his students with a stern expression. "I hardly think this is a call for alarm, Mr. Baxter. You students act like you're not used to a little cold," Mr. Lancer said with a chuckle.

"Not _this_ much in the middle of September," Danny pointed out.

"Fenton's got a point. Shouldn't we be calling our parents to pick us up or something?" Kwan asked.

Mr. Lancer sighed. _Obviously,_ he wouldn't be getting any teaching done at this point. "An announcement has already been put out over the radio. Your parents know to pick you up at the end of the period," Mr. Lancer answered. Mr. Lancer wasn't surprised to hear the loud cheers coming from his students. "I can tell that trying to teach you all would be a lost cause at this point so I'm just going to assign some homework and give you the period to complete it."

There was a mixed response from the class at that, but it didn't stop Mr. Lancer from handing out some used copies of _Romeo & Juliet. _"For the rest of the semester, I expect you all to read at least three novels from the list I gave you at the start of class and turn in reports on each of the novels that you read. You'll start with Romeo & Juliet. The other two are your choice. Since you're all seniors, I'm giving you the freedom to set your own due dates. However, I don't advise putting off the work until the last minute."

When Mr. Lancer placed the book onto his desk, Danny glanced at the cover before turning the book over in his hands. A story about two teens who were crazy in love but couldn't be together? Sounded like his life story. While he and Kagome didn't come from feuding families, he couldn't help but feel that him being part ghost and her being a witch was a _way_ worse situation. How did this story end again? Oh, right. They both died in the end. "Yikes," Danny muttered.

"Did you say something, Danny?" Tucker whispered to him.

Glancing to the side, Danny shook his head. "It's nothing," Danny answered. His eyes went back to the book as he turned it over again.

Suddenly, the windows in the classroom started shaking and rattling in place. No one paid them any mind until a large gust of wind blasted them all open with a violent crash. With several, loud screams, everyone ducked and covered their heads to try to avoid the glass shards that were flying overhead. The cold, icy winds moved through the room, nipping at the exposed skin in the room. " _The Children's Blizzard!"_ Mr. Lancer exclaimed, his favorite novel about a blizzard coming to mind. "Move into the hall, people!"

With panicked noises, the class started to follow Mr. Lancer out of the room. Danny quickly glanced at Tucker with a worried expression. Danny was about to ask him if he was alright, but he felt another chill go down his spine. Shivering once, Danny turned around quickly just as a misty breath escaped him. This time, he was able to see who or what had sent chills down his spine.

It was a... woman? But judging by the way she was floating outside the classroom window, it was pretty easy to tell that she was a ghost. She looked so pale that her skin had a slightly blue hue. Her black hair and white kimono whipped about her quietly as she stared down at him. Frowning deeply, Danny made sure that only Tucker was in the room with him before going ghost. "I don't know who you are, but I get the feeling that I'm about to find out," he said. The woman actually looked amused. She pulled a fist out of the sleeve of her kimono before opening her hand and blowing some sparkling ice crystals at him.

Tucker shielded his face from the onslaught of the wind. Was that hail!? "Danny, we gotta go!" Tucker shouted while grabbing his PDA. But when Tucker looked over at Danny, he saw Danny floating over to the window with a trancelike expression on his face. "Danny!?" Tucker shouted just as Danny floated up to the window before flying off. "This...isn't good."

~:~

Kagome had been sitting in AP English when she felt the sudden spike in Danny's ghostly energy. She had suddenly stopped taking notes before discreetly pulling out her phone to text him. It wasn't uncommon for Danny to tap into his powers a little while in school, but this felt like more than enough energy to completely go ghost.

"Is everything alright?" Sam whispered to Kagome from her seat next to the girl. Sam had seen the troubled expression Kagome had on her face and was instantly fearing the worst.

"I don't know. It feels like-" Kagome started.

"Check it out! Danny Phantom's fighting that girl ghost!"

Both Sam and Kagome turned to the windows to focus on where Danny Phantom was definitely floating with another ghost. Kagome couldn't believe her eyes. She stood up from her seat slowly with a suspicious gaze on the pair.

"Ms. Takahashi?" Mrs. Evelyn, the AP English teacher, asked with a puzzled frown.

Kagome watched the blue woman in the white kimono point a hand at Danny before directing his attention to the school. Surprisingly, Danny turned on the school with his hands glowing an icy blue. She recognized the threatening glow in his now bright, baby blue eyes just seconds before he launched his attack. "Get down!" Kagome shouted and immediately dropped to the ground.

From where she was crouched next to Sam, Kagome shielded her head with her hands. She heard the glass in the windows shatter loudly as chilling winds ripped into the classroom. The two girls exchanged a look before slowly peeking up. "Come on. We have to find Tucker," Sam said when she saw that Danny was gone.

"Girls! Where are you going!?" Mrs. Evelyn shouted when she spotted the two girls running from the room.

"Has Danny lost his mind?" Sam asked as she and Kagome ran through the crowd of students and faculty that were trying to escape the school.

"I don't know. That ghost that was with him has to be behind this. But it doesn't make sense," Kagome answered.

"You say that like you know the ghost," Sam replied with a raised brow.

"I've never met her, but I've heard of her. She looks just like the Yuki-onna," Kagome said with a frown. "Look! There's Tucker!"

Tucker was tapping furiously onto his PDA when they approached him. " _There_ you guys are! Look, we have a problem with Danny..."

"We noticed. He just blasted a hole through our classroom," Kagome replied.

"What's wrong with him? One second he was fine and then the next he had this funny look on his face and just ditched," Tucker said.

"Kagome was saying something about the ghost he was with. Who is she?" Sam asked.

"The Yuki-onna is a Japanese folktale. She's supposedly the soul of someone who died in the snow and she goes around wherever there is snow and takes the lives of whoever she sees," Kagome explained. "But it doesn't make sense. It almost looked like she was telling Danny to attack us. She's not really known for controlling people."

Feeling his PDA vibrate in his hand, Tucker glanced at the screen and spotted the latest news update. "Guys..." he trailed off and clicked on the live stream.

" _This is Lance Thunder for channel five news! I'm currently standing downtown where Amity Park's former ghostly protector, Danny Phantom, is currently turning City Hall into the worlds largest ice cube! No word yet as to what the ghost boy's motives are, but he seems to be working with another ghost who- quite frankly- gives this reporter the creeps. Really wishing he had moved in with his parents in Hawaii, this is Lance Thunder! Ah! Run for your lives!"_

"Dude," Tucker said as the broadcast ended with Danny firing a large, ecto-snowball at the camera.

"She has to be controlling him somehow. We have to get down there and help Danny," Sam said.

"But how?" Tucker asked.

"It's not the first time he's been under some spell, we just have to snap it out of him. Even under someone else's control, he's still Danny," Sam pointed out.

"Come on. I think I should be able to teleport us there," Kagome said and grabbed Sam and Tucker by the hands. Pulling the two into an abandoned bathroom for privacy, she closed her eyes and focused on a mental image of City Hall.

"Woah. So this is what the girl's bathroom is like..." Tucker muttered to himself.

~:~

Valerie flew on her jetsled as quickly as she could in this hail storm. She always knew that ghost boy would show his true colors again. He'd managed to win the town over, but all that public approval was gone now. "I've got you _now,_ ghost boy," Valerie promised as she neared City Hall. She could see the bright blue blasts being fired in all directions and kicked it into high gear.

~:~

"Teleportation is _definitely_ the transportation of the future," Tucker commented as the trio appeared in an alley next to the frozen City Hall.

"Quit messing around, Tucker. We have to find Danny," Sam admonished.

"No need. He's right there," Kagome pointed out. The three watched as Danny flew after some fleeing people with his hands glowing. "We have to stop him before he does something that he'll regret," Kagome said and used her magic to temporarily short circuit Danny's powers. They watched as Danny suddenly fell from the sky with a loud exclamation of surprise.

"What's this? A witch resides in this town?"

Kagome faced the Yuki-onna with a glare on her face. "What did you do to him?" Kagome demanded.

"Although his powers can't compare to my own, he's proven to be very useful," the Yuki-onna said. "I will use him to help me cover this town in a storm so vicious it will never again see sunlight. Once I have laid waste to this town, I will spread my curse to the rest of the globe," the Yuki-onna promised as she pulled an ice fan out of her sleeve before waving it at the teens.

"Look out!" Tucker shouted as several, ice shards came flying right for them. The three all leapt out of the way at the same time.

Kagome picked herself up from the snow and glanced back at the icicles that was jutting dangerously out of the sidewalk. When she turned back around, she came face to face with a pair of white boots. Scrambling backwards, Kagome stared up at a threatening Danny. She could see the blank look in his blue eyes as he glared down at her. "Danny-" she started, but was cut off by him snatching her off the ground by the front of her coat.

"End her!" Kagome heard the Yuki-onna command.

Kagome glared before gripping Danny by the hand that held her up. Without going overboard, she tried to literally shock some sense back into him. It hurt her more than anything to hear him cry out in pain because of her. Once she had gotten out of his hold, she was quick to subdue him. "Danny, it's me. I don't want to hurt you. Please snap out of it," Kagome pleaded.

She must not have been holding him down with enough force because Danny was able to easily overpower her and put some distance between them. He was still glaring harshly at her. Okay. So she wasn't getting through to him. Maybe she could snap him out of it if she stopped the Yuki-onna? But before she could come up with a plan, Kagome felt a cold grip around her entire body. Immediately trying to withdraw from the cold touch, Kagome felt the Yuki-onna's grip on her tighten.

"Do it now," the Yuki-onna commanded Danny.

"Kagome!" Kagome could hear Sam and Tucker shout.

She wasn't about to go down without a fight. Kagome had been about to shock the Yuki-onna senseless, but she paused at Danny's low groan. "Danny?" she called out.

"What are you waiting for!?"

Kagome watched Danny narrow his gaze at her as if he was trying to place her face. He looked so puzzled as he stared at her. Reaching a hand out to him, she pleaded, "Danny, help me." She could see him raising his hand hesitantly, his face twisted in confusion. ' _Yes! Come on, Danny!'_

"I don't think so, ghost!"

Kagome was stunned into silence at the sudden blast to his back that left Danny sprawled out on the snow at her feet. After several seconds, the Yuki-onna was blasted away from her as well. Looking up in shock, Kagome spotted a suited up Valerie standing with a smoking ecto-gun in hand. Glancing down at Danny's unmoving form, she quickly fell to her knees and tried to rouse him. "Danny?"

"If you were smart, you'd get away from that ghost," Valerie said and started charging her weapon.

"Wait!"

"Don't shoot!"

Kagome watched as Sam and Tucker stood in front of them with their arms stretched wide. She shivered a bit when the light winds that had been blowing around them suddenly picked up.

"Get out of the way, losers! I've got business to take care of," Valerie growled and took aim at Danny. "What the-?" Valerie questioned as she started to lose her balance because of the winds around her.

"You have all interfered one too many times. I'll take pleasure in watching you all freeze to death at my hands," the Yuki-onna said as she waved her ice fans at them.

"Run!"

Pulling Danny's limp body up by the arm, Kagome did her best to dodge the incoming shards of ice. She saw Valerie zoom into action, the ghost hunter's attention now refocused on a new threat. Resting Danny down onto the sidewalk, she kneeled next to his head and pulled a small pouch out from her pocket.

"Kagome, he's still not waking up?" Sam asked as she and Tucker got close.

"We're lucky he hasn't changed back yet," Kagome said and she peered inside the pouch.

"What's that...for?" Tucker trailed off as she watched Kagome stick her entire arm in a pouch no bigger than a coin purse. Once she had pulled her arm out, they could see some stalks of Indian pipe in her hand. Breaking up a few stalks, Kagome did her best to force feed the plant to Danny. "That _still_ smells gross," Tucker commented and pinched his nostrils.

They all watched anxiously as Danny laid in the snow. It took a few seconds, but they could see some color returning to his face just before he blinked his eyes open. "W-what? What happened?" Danny asked as he sat up slowly and held his head in his hand.

"You were possessed by a Japanese ghost bent on turning everyone in town into popsicles," Tucker explained.

"Oh _man._ I didn't do anything bad. Right?" Danny asked as he looked at his friends.

"We'll worry about that later. Valerie's in a bit of a bind right now," Kagome said as she helped Danny to his feet.

"I'll take care of this," Danny said as he leapt off the sidewalk. He let out a startled shout when he didn't immediately take to the skies and instead plummeted into the snow. He felt three sets of hands help him to his feet from where he had been laying sprawled out. "I can't use my powers."

"That was me. I temporarily stopped you from using them," Kagome explained.

Danny nodded once in acceptance. He wasn't sure what had caused her to need to stop him from using his powers, but he was sure that she had had a good reason. "Okay, listen up. I've got a plan," Danny said with the voice of a leader.

~:~

Valerie was finally getting used to flying in this crazy storm. This new ghost was proving to be more of a challenge than she had originally expected. All because the stupid ghost wouldn't keep still! It was teleporting so fast that it was almost like it was everywhere at once. Firing off another blast, Valerie kept her eyes peeled.

"Is this the best that you have to offer me? Do not waste my time," the Yuki-onna commanded before manifesting some large, ice spears and aiming them at Valerie.

"That's funny! I was about to say the same thing!" a different voice yelled.

Valerie glanced down to see Sam glaring up at them with her hands cupped around her mouth. What was that loser _doing?_ She had Tucker at her side before yanking him away. Since Valerie had taken her eyes off her prey, the ghost was able to get away _again!_ "Oh no you don't, ghost. You're fighting _me!_ Leave those losers alone!" Valerie shouted as she chased after the ghost on her jetsled.

She was gonna make it! She could almost reach out and grab the ghost by her long hair. Valerie felt her anticipation building to incredible heights. It wasn't the ghost boy, but it would _definitely_ do. But before she could lay a finger on the ghost, it pulled some kind of fake-out and suddenly dropped straight down to the ground. What the heck? Oh well. Laying face down in the snow like that just made the ghost _that_ much more of an easy target. Valerie took aim with her ecto-bazooka, a snappy one-liner on the tip of her tongue. But before she could waste the ghost, a bright blue beam of light captured the ghost and sucked it away.

"Huh? What?" Valerie asked unintelligently before looking around in confusion.

Standing not too far away from Kagome was none other than Danny Phantom with a thermos in his hands and a smirk on his face. _He'd_ caught the ghost? Valerie glared. "Fine! I can still waste you, ghost boy."

She had to do this quick before Kagome could have a chance to interfere again! She had him cornered and he wasn't even flying away! "My lucky day..." Valerie murmured. Without any remorse or hesitation, Valerie pulled the trigger.

~:~

Moi-Moi: World domination seems like a common theme for the ghosts that Danny ends up fighting. You have to admit, his enemies all have serious afterlife goals.

Next time: _"And do you, Kimiko, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?" the priest asked. Kimiko stared up at Vlad's soft smile just as Judai's words came back to her._


	4. Till Death Do Us Part

Moi-Moi: So, as you probably guessed, the big moment is here! Just a bit of fair warning, I've never planned a wedding before and this one actually took a bit of research to work out. And after looking at the prices for a wedding like this, it makes me not want to get married. Or, at least, not spend over $40,000 on it.

One last thing, does the texting scenes in this story come off as fake or unrealistic to you guys? Because when I text, I write like that. I mean, with autocorrect and word suggestions, it's not hard to write a proper sentence when you text. You know? Plus, I can text in proper English just as fast as if I were using slang. But whatever I guess.

Anyways, enjoy!

~:~

She got him! She _actually_ got the ghost boy! It was almost too good to be true. The ghost boy had even tried to use those ghost rays of his, but it had failed. He'd received the full brunt of her blast and was bowled over and was laying in the snow. " _Finally!"_ Valerie shouted in glee while pulling out her thermos to catch that ghost once and for all. But like many things in Valerie's life in the past few years, it actually was too good to be true.

Suddenly, the snow that had been settled around them slowly lifted into the air before levitating around her. Valerie spared the freaky snow a quick glance before returning her gaze onto Phantom. How was he controlling the snow when he could barely move? It didn't matter. "Say goodbye, ghost!" Valerie shouted. "Huh? What!?" Valerie exclaimed as the snow suddenly starting to whip around her roughly. It was hard to see or remain grounded on her jetsled, but she had to try! The ghost boy was going to get away! " _No!"_

When the winds suddenly stopped and all the snow fell back to the earth, Valerie pulled out her bazooka with a growl. As she'd feared, Phantom was gone. _Gone!_ Where'd he go!? She'd _had_ him _again!_ Turning quickly, Valerie was going to see if Kagome or one of Danny's friends had seen where the ghost boy had flown off to, but Kagome had disappeared. Sam and Tucker shot her a wary look before turning and running away.

Why was this always happening to her!? She'd managed to corner that ghost boy three times in the last year and he'd gotten away for one reason or another. He'd gotten lucky when her jetsled had started malfunctioning -not once, but _twice._ And now he'd managed to pull some disappearing trick with the snow. Feeling incredibly cheated, Valerie released a loud, frustrated shout.

~:~

When they touched down in her room, Kagome couldn't help but notice the few snowflakes that had poofed into the room with them. Releasing a sigh of relief, she glanced down at Danny before brushing his bangs out of his eyes. "You think Sam and Tucker are feeling ticked off about us ditching them?" Kagome asked.

Danny chuckled once before reverting back to his human form and sitting up slowly. "Maybe, but I'm sure they understand. Thanks for saving my life and secret back there," Danny said with a grateful smile.

"Don't forget your public image. You should consider hiring a PR agent to help with the damage control," Kagome inputted with a sad frown.

Danny groaned and hung his head. "Oh man. I've risked my life for this town for years and now I'm back to being public enemy number one in just one afternoon."

With a sympathetic smile, Kagome placed a hand to his cheek before turning his head to face her. She could see the disappointment and frustration in his expression. She hoped that he could see the understanding optimism in hers. "One step at a time, huh? They'll come around. Don't be too hard on yourself. Besides, you were being controlled. You couldn't help yourself."

"I guess..."

~:~

The Yuki-onna's attack couldn't have come at a better time. Because of her misdeeds, Casper High was temporarily closed for repairs and wouldn't be able to reopen until the end of October. It wouldn't take long to clean up and replace some windows, but the school had to be checked for stability and safety. While a city inspector was going to evaluate the structure, Jack and Maddie Fenton were also being asked to monitor the school for any leftover ecto-radiation before and after any repairs were to take place. With the school closed for construction, the students were expected to keep up with their assignments online.

However, her assignments were the last thing on Kagome's mind as she busied herself with packing a small suitcase. As she tucked away another dress, she couldn't help but smile. "I can't believe this is finally happening. Can you?"

Danny glanced up from his comic book with a brow raised. "Actually, I'm still waiting for Vlad to pop out and say that it had all been part of his diabolical plan," Danny replied. He rested the comic at his side and adjusted his position on Kagome's bed. He watched her move between her dresser, closet, and the suitcase at the foot of the bed.

"I'll have a step-dad by the end of the week. I never thought I'd see it happen."

"You're really happy about this. Aren't you?" Danny asked as he watched Kagome pack away a makeup bag.

"I'm more than happy, Danny. My mom finally has someone who's good for her. Not to mention that he actually cares about me and Judai," Kagome answered. "Besides, the wedding is going to be beautiful. Mom and Vlad picked out the prettiest stuff for the wedding."

"Isn't it a little weird that they're getting married on Halloween?" Danny asked skeptically.

"Not at all. Lots of witches get married on Halloween. It's this whole thing about good luck for the couple. When witches marry on Halloween, the spirits of their ancestors are supposed to visit the couple and bestow blessings on them. It's the only time a witch can come back as a ghost," Kagome explained.

"What do you mean _only_ time?" Danny asked.

"When a witch dies, they don't come back as a ghost. When we die, we go to a place of eternal rest. We only come back to the world of the living for special occasions. Everyone has their own theories as to why. Some say it's because witches upheld a natural balance during their lives and wouldn't come back as a ghost to upset the balance. Others say it's because we don't want to come back and force our living kin to have to hunt us," Kagome said with a shrug. "A wedding is the only time deceased witches partially come back as spirits and living witches temporarily swear off ghost hunting."

"Thanks for the warning. I wouldn't want to end up fighting your great grandma or something," Danny said. Kagome laughed loudly at the mental image of Danny Phantom facing off against an elderly woman with a walker.

~:~

Today was the day. Kimiko took yet another deep breath as she wrung out her hands. She was sitting in front of a vanity mirror with Kagome sticking hairpins into the elegant updo on her head. Her dark brown eyes glanced at the poofy, white gown that was hanging in the room. Kimiko had originally wanted a mermaid dress, but Kagome had convinced her that the sweetheart gown was perfect and would make her look like a princess. Kimiko smiled softly and released a shaky breath.

"There. All done, mama. And you look amazing if I do say so myself," Kagome said and smiled brightly down at her mother.

"I don't feel amazing. My heart won't stop pounding, my hands are shaking, and I can't stop sweating," Kimiko said and fanned her armpits.

"You'll be fine, mama. I'm... I'm really happy for you," Kagome said with a shaky smile. She tried to blink away the tears that were gathering.

"That means a lot to me, sweetheart," Kimiko replied and pulled her only daughter and maid of honor in for a tight hug. "Now come and help me squeeze into this dress."

~:~

She really did look like a princess. Kimiko was busy fixing her makeup that she'd accidentally smudged when she'd started tearing up at the sight of her in a wedding dress. She never thought she'd see the day. She was _actually_ getting married. For so long, she'd given up on the idea of finding someone. It was a lie, but she would have been content to spend the rest of her life alone. She'd been staring at her reflection when the sound of a knock on the door startled her into action. "I'm coming!" she replied with a mix of excitement and anxiety in her voice.

She could hear the door opening behind her so she hurried to grab the skirt of her dress and leave. The last thing she wanted was to stress out the wedding planner any more. The woman was a tyrant! She froze in place when she spotted who it was who had walked in. Everything about her stopped- no thoughts, no breaths moving in her chest, and her heart stopped beating. When she was finally able to grab hold of herself, she spoke in a small voice, "Judai?"

He actually looked bashful as he smiled at her and shut the door behind him. "Hey, Kim."

"What are you doing here?" Kimiko asked as her eyes narrowed and she took a step back.

"Don't freak out. I just wanted to-" Judai started.

"If you say something stupid, I _will_ hex you," Kimiko interrupted.

He actually chuckled! "I won't say anything stupid then. I wasn't going to stay. I just...wanted to congratulate you."

"Are you shocked to hear that I don't believe you?"

"Not at all," he answered with a shrug. "I have to say though, you look beautiful in that dress."

"How did you find out about the wedding? I never told you or Nakoda I was getting married," Kimiko asked with her arms folded suspiciously.

"I _might_ have been keeping tabs on you since the last time I came to visit," Judai admitted with a hand rubbing at the back of his neck. At the dangerous glare on Kimiko's face, he raised both hands in surrender. "But that stops now! I promise. I just had to make sure that you were happy with this guy- you and the kids."

Kimiko rolled her eyes with a scoff. "Sure. _Now_ you care."

"I've always cared! I just..." Judai started but stopped. "Never mind. I don't owe you any more excuses."

"You don't owe me anything," Kimiko said and looked away. Her eyes landed on the clock that was hanging on the wall. She had to get out of here. "I'm going, Judai. I trust you can find your way out without security's help?" Kimiko said and picked up the front of her gown. She would knock him out if she had to, but she was going to get past him.

"Wait. I just have one more thing to say."

She was going to kill him. He could not be serious right now! "Let go of me or I'll do more than break your nose," she threatened and tried to pull out of his hold.

"Will you just let me speak my peace? It's either I do it here or out there when the priest asks for it," Judai warned.

"You wouldn't _dare."_

The vicious glare she was shooting him was more than enough to stop him in his tracks. Not many things scared him, but an angry Kimiko was definitely on the list things that terrified the hell out of him. "You're an amazing woman, Kimiko. You're probably the most amazing woman I know. I was your friend first. So, as your friend, I'm telling you that you deserve the absolute best the world has to offer. And I know that you love this guy, but... I just want you to make sure that he's the best choice. Not just for you, but the kids."

Kimiko stared critically up at her ex before glancing down at the stubble on his chin and neck. "I have to go, Judai. Thank you for the congratulations," Kimiko said before slipping out of his hold and out the room. She was immediately met with a stressed out wedding planner.

" _There_ you are! I was freaking out! I was worried that you'd gotten cold feet or something! Here's your bouquet. Come on," the wedding planner said and shoved the white roses at Kimiko. "I've got her. Tell them to start playing the wedding march," the wedding planner said into her Bluetooth headset. While she was being dragged down the hall, Kimiko couldn't help but glance back at where Judai was standing with his hands shoved in his pockets. He sent her a wave with a small smile.

~:~

The best choice?

She could vaguely hear the Wedding March play as she walked on autopilot down the aisle. She could see the smiling faces of family and friends as she walked past. Jack slapped Vlad on the back once with a poorly whispered, " _Nice one, Vladdy."_ Kagome was smiling brightly at her. Vlad looked composed, but she could see the bright happiness in his eyes. Everyone looked so happy, but she still felt utterly terrified inside. But before she knew it, she was standing in front of the priest.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony..."

The _best_ choice...

You think that she would have gotten over her worries by now. But the foreboding was persistent. Whatever it was in her future, it was going to be nothing short of catastrophic. Who's to say that it would be due to her and Vlad being together? She could just be feeling the effects of Kagome's new authority and resulting future.

"May we have the rings?" the priest asked.

"No problem, Father. I've got 'em right here," Jack said and reached into his jacket. Kimiko's eyes widened.

"Vlad, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part?"

"I do."

It's not going to be easy. But life never is. Her life has been anything _but_ easy.

 _"_ And do you, Kimiko, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?" the priest asked. Kimiko stared up at Vlad's soft smile just as Judai's words came back to her.

With an almost smug smile, Kimiko answered, "I do."

"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss...the bride," the priest trailed off when Kimiko suddenly pulled her husband in for an enthusiastic kiss.

~:~

Moi-Moi: You know what song I feel is a perfect song for those two? "When I Look At You" by Miley Cyrus. I can't help but picture them ballroom dancing at the reception and it's beautiful.

Next time: _"Clockwork! How could you have allowed this!?" the Observant shouted and gestured wildly._

 _"You've doomed us all by allowing him to escape!" the second shouted in a weighted, accusatory voice._

 _Clockwork raised a brow at them before turning over the dented and busted Fenton Thermos in his hand. "Well, maybe you should bring your grievances up to your new king?" Clockwork suggested._


	5. Reunited and it Feels So

Chapter 5- Reunited And It Feels So...

Clockwork clicked through the images on his portal with his staff in hands. He almost looked bored as he flipped through the images like someone would mindlessly flip through the channels of a television. One would think that possessing control over all aspects of time would make it easy to view a single scene of the past. Suddenly, Clockwork stopped on the image of Danny Phantom and Kagome fighting the former Ghost King. Perfect. Clockwork left the scene paused as he glanced down at the many watches on his forearm with a smirk. It was time for his meeting with the Observants. He'd been putting off the meeting for some time now, but the Observants were getting anxious. It didn't matter. Now was the _perfect_ time.

He had used his staff to teleport into the center of the Observants' Keep. The Observants floated on the circular stands around him, their judgmental eyes all leering down at him. The Observants' Keep was comparable to the Roman Colosseum in design. Idly, Clockwork tried to imagine the Observants releasing ghostly lions on their victims. One Observant, who was much larger than the others, stood at a podium with a gavel in his bony hand. To calm the slight uproar that had started when Clockwork had appeared, the leader shouted, "Order! Order!" while banging his gavel. "High Observant Council meeting number 563,239 is now called to order!"

"Is all of this _really_ necessary?" Clockwork asked as he shifted to his elderly form.

"Yes!" the leader shouted and pointed his gavel at Clockwork. "Let it be known that the defendant, Clockwork, has committed treason against the High Observant Council and all of ghost-kind! Clockwork, you are charged with seventeen counts of treason, eight counts of obstruction of justice, and five counts of illegal, time stream manipulation. How do you plea?"

"I'm the Master of _Time_. I can't _illegally_ manipulate the time stream," Clockwork replied smartly and shifted to his child form.

" _Oh?_ Exhibit A," the leader said smartly and pointed to a swirling portal at his right. Clockwork stared indifferently at the video of Danny attempting to prevent Vlad Masters from contracting ecto-acne. "The defendant used his powers of time manipulation without the consent of the High Council to allow Danny Phantom to alter the time stream and change the pasts of multiple humans and one half-ghost."

Clockwork rolled his eyes. What did it matter? None of the damage was permanent. He had fixed Danny's mistakes and managed to teach the boy a lesson all in one go. It was a win-win in Clockwork's opinion.

"Exhibit B, the defendant used his powers to influence the decision of a former witch known as, Nakoda Yukimura. May it be noted that without the defendant's interference, the witch would not have travelled to Amity Park and threatened the afterlife of the ghost boy, Danny Phantom."

"It was necessary for Kagome to learn the spell that she would use to defeat the ghost king. Unless, you would rather have Pariah awake with no one who could stop him?" Clockwork justified with a smirk. Clockwork couldn't help but scoff at the uncomfortable looks in the eyes of all the Observants around him.

"Nonetheless, this council has had enough of your refusal to cooperate and blatant disregard for anyone other than yourself," the leader said. Clockwork rolled his eyes. "I hereby sentence you to ten thousand years in-"

Everyone paused when the sound of a loud explosion caught them off guard. All the Observants' eyes turned towards the sound while they questioned each other on what could have possibly made that sound. Clockwork gave the knob on his staff a few turns before clearing his throat loudly to regain their attention. Once he had it, he said, "This has been mildly entertaining, but I have a job to do."

And just like that, Clockwork vanished.

~:~

The explosion had come from his clocktower, obviously. Gliding into the room, Clockwork went straight for the fallen Fenton Thermos. He raised a brow at it before picking it up. The cap had been blow off and the body of the Thermos was covered in soot. The opening for the Thermos was melted and deformed, like flower petals peeling back and away from each other.

"We meet again, Clockwork."

"I suppose you feel quite proud of yourself," Clockwork replied and turned to face his guest with an unreadable expression.

Dan Phantom smirked from where he stood across the room with his hand glowing with ecto-energy. "From what I remember, no ghost has ever been able to break out of one of those infernal contraptions. Do you know why? Because it takes _power._ Power the likes of which cannot be contained," Dan gloated. Clockwork hummed once in response before checking the watches on his forearm. Feeling a bit miffed at the lack of response from Clockwork, Dan glared at the older ghost. "What? No cryptic messages for me today? You're not even going to warn me to stay away from my past self?"

"Believe it or not, I have nothing to say to you. I know a lost cause when I see one," Clockwork smirked. He nearly laughed at the barely restrained anger on Dan's face. "Though I should warn you not to meddle in the affairs of the present. Things did not go so well for you last time and I doubt you would succeed now."

" _Oh_? And what's so different _now?"_ Dan asked in a mocking tone as he turned towards the time-viewing portal in the room. He'd just have to see what his younger self was up to. The portal was frozen on the image of Danny Phantom flying through the ghost zone with a determined look on his face. Raising a hand, Dan used his ecto-energy to jumpstart the portal and play the sequence of events.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you..."

Dan skillfully ignored Clockwork's warning with a roll of his eyes. Critically, he watched his younger (but now a few years older. How old was he now?) self fly towards Pariah Dark's castle and exchange words with the Fright Knight. After several seconds of watching, Dan scoffed. "He's gotten faster, I'll give him that much. But he's still no match for-" Dan stopped short when he spotted an unfamiliar face.

It was a teenaged, Asian girl in a pair of pajamas. His younger self seemed to know her well enough. He was even using their Ghostly Wail to defend her from Pariah. "Who is she?" Dan asked Clockwork without taking his eyes off the girl. Those red eyes widened when he saw her shout and cause a mountain of flowers to appear. " _Who_ is _she?"_ Dan stressed at Clockwork.

Clockwork smirked. "She is your new King. I would suggest not angering her. She can cause you much more harm than Pariah ever could," Clockwork bragged.

"I find that hard to believe," Dan scoffed. "How is she doing that? She's not a ghost..."

When he didn't receive a response, Dan turned on Clockwork. Surprisingly, Dan couldn't spot the time ghost. Clockwork had just left him alone? "This must be some sort of test..." Dan scoffed before glancing at the portal again. With a pensive frown, he watched his younger self and the girl fight together. He'd never seen anything like her. The more he watched her used her powers, the more intrigued he became. When he saw her bring _Pariah Dark_ to his _knees,_ it was decided. "It's been a while since I've been home. I think it's time I paid a visit to my old stomping ground," Dan said with a smirk.

~:~

After a few minutes, Clockwork popped back into his tower and glided over to the portal. As expected, Dan Phantom was quickly making his way to Amity Park. Clockwork frowned. Why did no one ever heed his warnings? They always insisted on doing things the hard way...

"Clockwork!"

"Am I to assume that the trial will be continuing in my home?" Clockwork asked in a weary voice.

"This is not about the trial," one Observant said.

"Oh?"

"This is about something far more important!" the second Observant interjected.

"And what seems to be the problem _now?"_ Clockwork asked.

" _That!"_ both the Observants said simultaneously while pointing to the image of a newly free Dan Phantom in the portal.

Clockwork glanced at Dan's image before gliding over to where he had rested the Thermos. "Yes. I see your concern. Dan Phantom is now free."

"This is _your_ responsibility, Clockwork. The boy is _your_ obligation- _all_ forms and versions of him."

Clockwork nearly rolled his eyes. Of course they would put all the blame on him. It was the only way they could live with themselves if something went wrong. As long as it wasn't their fault, they didn't need to feel guilt or failure. "I know that. I have everything under control."

"From where we are standing, it does not look so."

"You Observants lack the ability to see things the way that I do. Trust me. Everything is as it should be," Clockwork said.

"Look! Look! He's in the human world already!" one of the Observants pointed out. "How can everything be alright? This is a disaster!"

"You haven't even given him a chance. Perhaps he's going to turn his life around?" Clockwork said with a smirk. The trio watched Dan move invisibly over the city until he stopped cold. The evil ghost flew down into an alleyway with his wicked eyes trained on something in front of him.

"He's after the witch!"

"Clockwork! Do something! _Stop him!"_

Clockwork ignored the cries of the Observants and watched Dan take on the appearance of his younger self. With a smirk, he popped out of the shadows before jogging up to Kagome and tapping her on the shoulder with a bright smile. He was a good actor. Clockwork would give him that much. He was good enough to fool the witch...

"Clockwork! How could you have allowed this!?" the Observant shouted and gestured wildly.

"You've doomed us all by allowing him to escape!" the second shouted in a weighted, accusatory tone.

Clockwork raised a brow at them before turning over the dented and busted Fenton Thermos in his hand. "Well, maybe you should bring your grievances up to your new king?" Clockwork suggested.

~:~

It had been easy to fool Sam and Tucker when he had taken on the appearance of his younger self. He knew Sam and Tucker- their likes, dislikes, and backgrounds. It wasn't going to be as easy to fool this girl (whose name he didn't even know!). He was taking a small risk in approaching her. She could just be some normal girl that his younger self had blabbed their secret to! Or even some new ghost hunter! He still tapped her on the shoulder nonetheless.

She turned around quickly with a questioning look on her face before her features lit up with a bright smile. "Danny! What are you doing here? I thought Tucker was helping you catch up on your math?"

"Math? Oh! We already finished so I went looking for you," Dan replied smoothly.

The girl smiled before bumping his shoulder with hers. "Aren't you sweet?" she asked with a coy expression.

Dan was slowly starting to understand his younger self's relationship with the (still) unnamed girl. They must be close friends. What would have caused that doof to spill their secret to her? Was it the power she possessed? Was she some sort of villain? Or did he just lose himself to a pretty face. Typical. Did she-

Dan froze when she had suddenly leaned in and pecked him on the cheek. He instantly jerked away from her with a hand clutched to his stinging cheek. The kiss was innocent enough, but it had surprised the hell out of him! Secondly, it hurt like _hell!_ Idly, Dan glanced down at her waist. She wasn't wearing that blasted Specter Deflector. So what was it?

"Danny? I'm sorry. Are you okay? I promise I didn't do that on-" she said as she stretched a worried hand out to him. The second her hand rested on his shoulder, she gasped loudly as he pulled away from her and backed into a building. "Are you...okay?"

"I... I'm _fine..._ Just _peachy,"_ Dan replied, barely keeping the growl out of his voice. His shoulder and cheek were on fire, the skin throbbing painfully. A nagging voice was screaming at him to leave- fly away!- But he ignored it. He was tempted to check the stinging areas to see the damage, but he didn't want to come off any weirder than he already was.

"I didn't mean to do that. I could have sworn that I was getting better at controlling my magic. I can't remember the last time I shocked you."

Magic?

"Let me take you to my house. I can borrow some of my mom's herbs and have you fixed up in no time," she said with a soothing smile. Dan tensed when she reached out for him, but thankfully she didn't shock the living daylights out of him again. Her hold on him was soft, but firm and rather _intimate_ if he was being completely honest. Just who was she to his younger self?

~:~

"Just wait there. I'll go get my mom's trunk."

Dan watched her leave with a small smile. Once she was gone, he quickly stood and proceeded to examine the pink bedroom she had brought him to. It looked like a mix between a little girl and a teenager's room. It looked normal enough. The bookshelf was filled with old books in another language that he couldn't read. Useless. As quietly as possible, he slid the drawer on the nightstand open. After rifling through it for a few seconds, he shut it with a frown. Where did teenage girls keep their secrets? He was about to check under the bed when she returned with a large, wooden trunk.

"Come sit down, Danny. I know you've got superpowers, but you'll feel better after this. I promise."

Dan reclaimed his spot on the bed, his eyes widened at all the jars of _substances_ within the trunk. Was that an _eyeball?_ "What _is_ all of this?" he couldn't help, but ask.

"Mom just replenished her stash. I've got everything I need now," she said with a smile while pulling a red liquid up into a syringe.

When she moved to inject him in the shoulder, he jerked away. "Don't I get to know what's in it first?"

"Of course," she said before quickly sticking the needle into his neck. If it weren't for his quick reflexes, he wouldn't have been able to pull away in time. He couldn't hold back the growl this time as he pulled away from the girl and opposed her. His hand touched the skin of his neck before he inspected it. The red liquid coating his fingers felt like peroxide on an open wound. He could feel the burn under the skin on his neck and rubbed the area soothingly. "So, villain it is then?"

She raised a brow at him with the half-filled syringe still inhand. Her smile vanished and was quickly replaced with a frown. "I don't know who you are, but you better not have hurt Danny."

"That almost sounded like a threat," he replied with his real voice. His brow raised as a smirk graced his face. "But don't worry, Danny's fine. Or should I say, _I'm_ fine?" he asked as he transformed back into his full-ghost form. He watched the girl's eyes widen before glancing down at the DP insignia on his chest.

"You're full-ghost," she said, not asked.

"Was it that obvious?" he baritone voice replied. "This is the part where you scream and beg for mercy."

"Actually, this is the part where _you_ scream and fall to your knees," she replied calmly.

"Why is that? You'll touch me again? I don't think-" Dan started before his legs gave out beneath him. What was happening to him? He could barely muster the energy to-

"Or you could fall first and then scream. Either way works," the girl said.

"What... what did you do to me?" Dan barely got out in between pained groans.

"I gave you some diluted blood blossom extract. It's not enough to waste you. Just enough to knock you out for a little while."

Dan glared up at the girl, his red eyes promising death. "You have... _no_ idea who I am. You think... this would stop me from... killing you?" Dan growled. He tried to crawl towards her because this _wasn't_ over! But, she took one step out of his reach and pulled out a cell phone. He could hear her muffled voice saying his weaker self's name- his old name- just before his eyes slid shut and everything went dark.

~:~

Moi-Moi: I mean come on. Kagome knows Danny's ecto-signature like the back of her hand. You'll have to do better than that Dan. And yes, he's Dan Phantom in this story. I was considering Dan Plasmius (cause it's a little funny), but I scrapped that idea. Have any of you guys read the story, "Anathema" by Firefury Amahira here on ? Personally, it's my favorite Dark Danny story. I would definitely recommend it as a creative way to fill in the gaps in his past that the show didn't answer.

Next time: _He couldn't believe it. How had things gotten so far off track!? It was one thing that his family and friends were still alive, but now this!?_

 _"It's a lot to take in. I'll give you a moment to collect your thoughts," Clockwork said smartly before disappearing with a pop._


	6. The Ultimate Enemy

This _had_ to be a joke. There was _no way_ this was happening right now!

"Are you _sure_ Kagome described the ghost properly?" Sam asked as she ran with Tucker on the sidewalk. Despite the wind rushing by, she could still make out Danny's voice over the Fenton phones.

" _She said black and white jumpsuit with my DP on the front, flaming white hair, and he called himself Danny! It_ has _to be him!"_

"But how did he get out? You left the Thermos with Clockwork right? You don't think something happened to Clockwork?" Tucker asked fearfully as he ran around a fire hydrant.

 _"Guys, I'm gonna go ahead. Kagome's at home alone with him,"_ they heard Danny say before he took off faster than the Specter Speeder.

"Come on, Tucker!"

"Right behind you!"

~:~

His older self was free. How could this have happened!? So many scenarios were playing themselves out in Danny's mind, each one more outlandish than the last. It had taken everything he had to defeat his evil self years ago. While he was older and stronger now, Danny wasn't sure if it would make a big enough difference. His older self had been crafty, more experienced, and definitely the most evil villain Danny had ever faced. And that monster was threatening Kagome!

One thing kept bugging Danny (above the million _other_ things that were bugging him). Why had his older self gone after Kagome? He shouldn't even know her! Did he happen to run into her? What was he planning?

Danny was at Kagome's home within seconds, his ghost sense going off immediately. Without wasting any precious time, he flew into her room while loudly calling out her name. If he had hurt her-

"I'm right here, Danny."

When he spotted her sitting patiently on her bed, he rushed over to her and pulled her to her feet. "Are you alright? What did he do? He didn't hurt you. Did he?" he asked while quickly checking her over.

"Relax, Danny. He's over there," Kagome said and pointed behind Danny.

How had he missed the unconscious body of his older self laying in the corner? With wary movements, Danny approached his older self. Gathering some ecto-energy in his hands just in case, Danny commanded, "Stay back."

"He's been unconscious for a while now. I gave him some diluted blood blossom extract and it knocked him right out," Kagome explained. "I didn't want to give him a concentrated version just in case he had kidnapped you or something."

"Kidnapped me?" Danny asked incredulously.

Kagome folded her arms haughtily. "After everything that has happened in the last year, is it _really_ that improbable?"

"Alright. I'll give you that one," Danny nodded before reaching out towards his older self.

"Don't do that!"

"What!? What's wrong!?" Danny asked and yanked his hand away fearfully. His wide eyes glanced between Kagome, his gloved hand, and the still-unconscious Dan.

Kagome was at his side in a second and directing his attention to the floor. "I trapped him in a circle of salt. No ghost can get through that without seriously hurting themselves."

"Well, at least we have some way to hold him until I figure out what to do with him..." Danny mused.

Kagome frowned at Danny. "Care to explain exactly who he is?" she asked.

Danny hesitated. A few unintelligible sounds escaped him as he tried to think of the best way to explain. "He's...me. Or at least an older version of me from an alternate future," Danny replied, choosing his words carefully. Because that sounded _totally believable_ to the average person...

"Nothing can ever be simple with you. Can it?" Kagome mused with a smirk. "So how did you manage to meet your future self?"

"You remember when Clockwork came to see you a few months ago? And he said that you would basically be the worst thing to happen to the world?" Danny asked.

Kagome frowned deeply. "I remember," she answered in an irritated tone. Forgive her being a bit miffed, but she had a right to after being called the "worst thing to happen to the world". She would still like to hold onto the hope that a clockwork was wrong. How could she be so terrible? If she was so bad, surely Clockwork (or _anyone_!) would have intervened earlier.

"Been there. Done that," Danny said in a somber tone. "Well... _he's_ been there anddone that," he corrected.

Kagome's arms fell to her sides as her eyes widened in surprise. She could recall asking Danny what Clockwork had been implying months ago, but he had always brushed it off. "Danny, why didn't you tell me?"

"It's not exactly something I like to talk about. Knowing that in some other reality, I became the most evil ghost on the planet and killed thousands of people. I don't even like to think about it."

"I guess I understand. But you should know that you can tell me anything," Kagome soothed as she hugged him from behind.

"How sentimental..."

She felt Danny tense in her arms before she stepped out from behind him to look at their (now conscious) guest. Danny made sure to keep an arm out in front of her for her safety, his neon eyes glaring harshly down at his older self. They watched Dan sit up from the floor and try to stand. His legs shook violently beneath him, his arms waving frantically as he tried to maintain his balance. With a loud exclamation, Dan tipped over and fell face-first towards the floor. Unfortunately for him, his too tall body kept him from avoiding the salt barrier surrounding him. As he fell, his face smacked into the invisible wall and sent his entire body flying backward into the invisible force field behind him.

"Thanks for warning me. That looked like it hurt," Danny said as he watched Dan grunt in pain while rolling over to face them.

"What is this? Salt?" Dan asked as he reached out to touch it. The instant his fingers touched the circle of salt around him, he hissed in pain and yanked his hand away. Furious, red eyes latched onto the girl his weaker self was pathetically trying to protect. "What did you do?" he asked in an accusatory tone.

Suddenly, Kagome's bedroom door slammed open second before Sam and Tucker ran inside. "Danny, are you...okay?" Sam asked but slowed when she spotted Danny's older self angrily sitting on the floor like a pouting child.

"Dude..." Tucker remarked in an astonished tone.

"Sam and Tucker, long time no see. How long has it been exactly?" Dan asked with a wide smirk.

"Just ignore him. Kagome gave him some blood blossoms and trapped him behind the salt. He can't get out," Danny reassured his friends.

"I'm sure that's what you thought the last time, too."

Danny skillfully ignored Dan's jab. "Speaking of which, how _did_ he get out?" Sam asked.

"I thought Clockwork was watching him?" Tucker pointed out.

"As if some infernal contraption could hold me. I won't lie. It took time to gather up the energy I needed to make my escape. But, I'm sure that if I could do it once, I can do it again," Dan hinted with a wide smile.

"Don't get used to it. I locked you away once, I'll do it again," Danny threatened as his eyes glowed.

" _Please_. Even with diminished strength, I'm still more powerful than you," Dan bragged.

Danny shot Dan a strange look. "Geez. You may look like me, but you definitely act like the fruitloop," Danny mused. _Total_ déjà vu...

Sam quickly grabbed her friends and pulled them to the other side of the room. She shot Dan a few wary looks before ducking her head. "So, how are we going to take care of _him_ if he can just break out of the Fenton Thermos?" Sam asked in a hushed tone.

Danny glanced back at where Dan was sitting on the floor with his arms folded over his chest. Dan was staring at him with a smug look in his red eyes, a small smirk in place on his face. For someone trapped with no means of escape, he looked pretty relaxed. It gave Danny a funny feeling. "I don't know," Danny admitted.

"That salt is doing a pretty good job at keeping him trapped. Maybe we can put him in a Thermos and then cover the Thermos in salt?" Tucker suggested.

"I'm not sure if that would work, Tuck," Danny admitted.

"There's no harm in trying," Kagome said. At Danny's incredulous look, she shrugged and said, "I'm sure a Thermos would hold up if there was a protective ward or two to keep it sealed. No ghost would be able to touch it though."

"That's fine with me," Danny said.

"For the record, I can hear everything you're saying."

The four teens glanced over at where Dan was stretching his arms. Danny frowned. "So you know that there's no point in fighting?"

Standing slowly, Dan did a few full body stretches. "I have to say, I was definitely intrigued by the powers you had. I never thought that magic could be real. Tell me, are you hiding a broomstick in your closet?" Dan said with a low chuckle.

"I don't know. Do you wear a white sheet and say _boo_?" Kagome replied in a sarcastic tone.

Dan grinned. "This has all been mildly entertaining at best, but I think I'm finished here," Dan said and fired a few ecto-blasts at the invisible shield. Danny tensed, Sam and Tucker stepped back, and Kagome frowned. When Dan saw the green blasts collide with the shield and harmlessly disappear, his jaw dropped. With a low growl, he tried again. "Why. Isn't. It. Working!?" Dan asked, every word punctuated with another large blast.

"You might want to take it easy. You're gonna wear yourself out," Kagome suggested.

Dan turned a vicious glare onto her. "You think _this_ can hold me?" Dan hissed. This circle was nothing more than a magical ghost shield! And there wasn't a ghost shield that he'd come across that he couldn't tear down. He definitely wasn't up to full strength yet, but he was still strong enough for one Wail. Dan took a deep breath.

" _No_!" Danny shouted just as he recognized what his older self was plotting. With amazing reflexes (thank goodness!), he reached out to shove Kagome behind him as he erected a shield around him and his friends with his ghostly energy. He could feel the sonic waves battering down onto his shield, putting stress on him to withstand the attack. Squinting an eye open, he saw his friends crouched low with their hands on their ears. When he heard a splintering crack, he glanced upwards. " _Aw crap_ ," he whispered when he spotted the cracks that were forming in the roof. He moved in closer to put his arms around his friends and turn them all intangible. He was able to turn Sam and Tucker, but the second he touched Kagome, he felt her magic reject him and fry the nerves in his arm. Crap!

"He's gonna bring the whole house down!" Danny heard Tucker shouting.

With renewed motivation, Danny tried to reach for Kagome again, but he received an even more painful shock for his efforts. He could see Kagome shooting him sympathetic glances. When he reached for her again, he was surprised to see her pull away. "Kagome, what-!?"

"It's okay!" she shouted and scooted away from him.

"No! I can do it! It doesn't hurt that bad just come back and-" Danny was shouting, but Sam's shout cut him off.

"Look out!"

Danny had barely enough time to glance up before he saw the first piece of concrete fall. The large block fell right through his intangible, out-stretched arm before leaving a hole in the floor. He turned wide, frantic eyes on Kagome. She was mouthing to him that it would be okay, but he still reached for her. It would be okay if he could grab her! He could do it! He knew that he could! He just needed to hold her for a few seconds-

Danny's efforts were cut short by more debris falling between them and the floor caving in beneath him. He wasn't sure what he was yelling as he fell and lost sight of Kagome. He could feel Sam and Tucker latched onto his side, but his eyes were glued on where he had last seen Kagome.

Did Clockwork stop time? It felt like everything had frozen in place around him. He barely registered his surroundings as his heart stopped beating and sunk. His older self had stopped wailing, leaving Danny's ears ringing loudly. He couldn't hear anything, but he was sure that Tucker was screaming. He tried to see Kagome, but there was so much dust in the air. Once he was sure that his friends were alright, Danny unsteadily rose to his feet. He could barely hear his own voice as he shouted Kagome's name. The unsettling panic within him mounted. Where was she!? If he could find her fast, he could get her to a hospital and-

Spotting movement on his left, Danny turned and scrambled towards it. Thank God! She was alright! She was gonna be okay! Danny had been pushing a support beam out of the way when a pile of rubble shifted and a gloved hand shot out of it. His blood ran cold. All his efforts stopped as Danny watched his evil self crawl out of the destruction he had caused. Before any despair could set in, Danny felt unbridled fury take hold. It was _his_ fault! Everything was _his fault!_

Dan coughed several times as he waved the dust out of his face. He hadn't planned on getting buried alive, but at least he was free. He tried to fly out of the mess, but only ended up slipping on a panel of wood and falling to the ground. Okay. His Ghostly Wail had managed to drain what little strenght he had left. But it wasn't the end of the world. He just needed to find someplace to hole up and heal.

In the middle of pulling himself onto his knees, Dan felt the familiar sting of an ecto-blast on his side. Clutching his ribs, Dan groaned. Turning his head, he spotted his weaker self glaring at him with glowing hands and steaming eyes. Oh _great._ Of all the times to pick a fight... Dan was attempting to stand when he felt a barrage of ecto-blasts rain down on him. He could hear his weaker self screaming loudly like a child throwing a tantrum. Okay. Maybe his weaker self had gotten stronger since they'd last fought. It pained him to say it, but he wasn't going to be able to stand much more of this. He had to get away. With his last bit of strength, Dan created a small portal into the Ghost Zone beneath him.

~:~

 _Everything_ hurt. It shouldn't be possible for him to have so much power at so young. It had taken over a decade for him to build up power of that caliber! They were the same person and yet it was hard to miss the glaring differences between them. Where had he gone wrong?

"I see you had the pleasure of meeting Kagome and reuniting with your alternate self."

Dan cursed softly. "Of course when I am down, you find your way to me. What do you want, Clockwork? To pass on vague and cryptic warnings of my future? Will it be the end of me if I don't give up this path?" Dan mocked as he floated weakly. If only he could fly away. Then, he wouldn't have to put up with-

"Have I become _that_ predictable?" Clockwork asked with a smirk on his middle-aged face. He watched Dan's battered form float by before frowning deeply. "What's on your mind?"

Dan scoffed. If only Clockwork knew the murderous thoughts that were passing through his head- most of them focused on his weaker self. "What did you do, Clockwork? Why are things so different?"

"Me? I try to remain as detached as possible from the lives of others."

Dan shot him a glare.

Clockwork smirked. "Things are exactly as they should be. In your reality, you are the greatest threat to mankind. But in _his_ reality, he's still the half-ghost hero of Amity Park. Your past has not changed, but his future is on a different path."

So they _were_ two different people... "And the girl?"

"Kagome," Clockwork corrected and summoned a time portal with his staff. Dan glanced over at the portal and observed the short clips that Clockwork was played for him. "A teenage witch, descended from a very old and very influential coven. She is also the current King of Ghosts."

"How is it that I've never heard of witches before?"

"You've actually had several run ins with witches. You just didn't recognize it for what it was. They paraded themselves as "ghost hunters" and relied more on technology to subdue ghosts. But you'll find that the witches of Asian decent tend to stick to more medieval methods," Clockwork said with a smirk.

"Is that supposed to be the vague warning?" Dan asked and rolled his eyes.

"I'll be as clear as possible," Clockwork said in a grave tone. "If you attempt to fight Kagome, you _will_ cease to exist. Not only will you bring about your end, you will endanger the lives of hundreds of ghosts and cause a war of unimaginable magnitude."

"She's _one_ girl!" Dan scoffed.

"And Danny? He's stronger than you know _because_ he has had Kagome. Not only is her power leagues above your own, his strength will dwarf yours soon enough," Clockwork said and summoned another portal.

Dan rolled his eyes in disbelief before glancing at the portal. It was...him? kneeling and looking rather beaten. Summoning as much energy as he could, Dan tried to float upright. His eyes widened. Danny- his _weaker self-_ was standing above him! There's no way! "How could this be!?" Dan exclaimed. He couldn't believe it. How had things gotten so far off track!? It was one thing that his family and friends were still alive, but now this!?

"It's a lot to take in. I'll give you a moment to collect your thoughts," Clockwork said smartly before disappearing with a pop.

Dan stared off into space for several seconds. Cease to exist... Would- _could-_ his weaker self and that witch really kill him? Dan frowned and growled. "The future isn't as set in stone as you think," Dan promised with a wide smirk before releasing a loud laugh.

~:~

Moi-Moi: Hey guys. You really have to wonder what's going on here... I mean what's _really_ going on. Just when it seems like Clockwork is trying to "help", he goes and motivates the bad guy. And then Dan is like a dog with a bone. Kagome is _missing!_ And then above all, we don't know if Dash is going to be able to live his dream of being homecoming king with Kagome as his queen and getting into Ohio State on a football scholarship!

Don't forget to comment and vote!

Next time: _"You just don't know when to quit. Do you?" Nakoda asked her only son with a sigh. Nakoda rolled her eyes as she sipped her tea._

 _"She was getting_ married _! I had to say something!" Judai exclaimed with a sheepish shrug._

 _"I still can't believe she would do that to those kids. What sane-minded witch marries a ghost!?" Nakoda exclaimed with a disgusted scoff._

 _"_ What!?" _a new voice shouted in shock and upset. Nakoda and Judai froze._


	7. If Dad Can Do It, So Can I?

Moi-Moi: Hey guys! We're meeting a new character in this chapter! Aren't you guys excited!? I am... *insert sneaky smirk*

Also… My birthday is today! Happy 22nd birthday to me! I think I deserve a new chapter as a birthday gift. Don't you? ;)

~:~

Kagome coughed loudly as she landed with a thud. Cracking an eye open, she could see the bits of debris she had managed to take with her when she teleported from her collapsing home. Still coughing loudly, Kagome pushed herself up into a sitting position. "About to be crushed by my home and the safest place I can think of to teleport to is the school gymnasium?" Kagome mumbled and looked around her. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she quickly sent a reassuring text to Danny before calling her mother. "Please pick up..."

 _"Kagome?"_

"Mama! I know you and Vlad are still on your honeymoon, but we have a problem," Kagome said in a rushed voice.

" _Whatever it is, we'll be home as soon as possible,"_ Kimiko answered without hesitation. There were times when having Kimiko for a mother was an amazing thing.

"Well... I don't think you'll have a home when you get here..." Kagome trailed off as she pulled herself up from the ground and quickly left the gym.

~:~

" _This is Tiffany Snow reporting for Channel Four News. Our first story of the night deals with the sudden and violent destruction of a home in the suburbs of Amity Park. The home of international fashion designer, Kimiko Takahashi, was destroyed as the result of a brutal attack from Danny Phantom,"_ the television spoke. Vlad turned up the volume on the set while pulling Kimiko closer to him. She frowned deeply before looking around at the teenagers that were gathered around. " _At this time, we don't know if another ghost was involved. Luckily, no one was harmed in the teenage ghost boy's latest rampage."_

" _Rampage!?_ You've got to be _kidding_ me!" Danny exclaimed and shot up from his seat. He let Kagome gently pull him back down into his seat, but his glare was still focused on the TV.

"They don't know any better, Danny," Kimiko soothed.

"Yeah, Danny. It was your jerky older self that caused it. You were just trying to stop him," Tucker supplied.

"Yeah. I know. Lot of good I did," Danny grumbled sulkily. "Kagome's family is homeless and there's an evil version of me on the loose."

"I wouldn't say homeless, my boy. They're staying with me. I have _more_ than enough room," Vlad bragged. He had been wanting Kimiko to move in after the wedding anyways. While he would have preferred for her to decide to move in of her own volition, he couldn't deny that he was slightly enjoying the circumstances.

"Yeah yeah. Can we get back to the _real_ issue here? Danny's got an evil older clone that needs to be stopped! While that's a little cool, there's still work to do," Judai exclaimed.

"And you won't be taking any part in it," Kimiko said sternly.

" _What?"_ Judai whined as his shoulders slumped. "Kagome got to fight the Ghost King! How come I can't help fight Danny's evil self? I've been practicing my magic, mom! I promise!"

"I don't need to say how dangerous this is. Now head upstairs and go straight to bed. You have school in the morning," Kimiko ordered.

Judai groaned loudly as he stomped out of the room. He never got to have _any_ fun! He still believed that his mother sent him to a preppy private school instead of Casper High just to keep him away from all the ghostly action. All the kids in his class were probably terrified of their own shadows or worse- getting kicked out of the country club.

"What do you think, mama?" Kagome asked.

Feeling five pairs of eyes on her, Kimiko pursed her lips in thought. "Honestly, the mother in me would prefer to keep you kids out of this for as long as possible. But the realist in me realizes that that is impossible," Kimiko started. "Vlad and I will handle the search for Danny's older self. When we find something, we'll let you know. Until then, I want you kids to make use of the remainder of your time out of school."

"I agree. We should start looking in the Ghost Zone. No offense Vlad, but I think I can navigate it a bit better than you can," Danny said.

Sensing her husband's rising irritation, Kimiko quickly interjected. "That's not what I meant, Danny. It's already November. The semester is almost over and I know that you kids have the SAT coming up soon."

"The SAT?" Danny parroted dumbly.

"Danny, you _have_ been studying for the SAT right?" Kagome asked.

Danny blinked owlishly. He'd planned to study...last month. "I've been a bit... _preoccupied._ We all have. I'm sure you guys haven't gotten too much studying done. Right?" Danny asked and looked around at his friends. Sam, Tucker, and Kagome exchanged wary looks.

"My parents hired someone to help me study," Sam replied.

"I hooked up my computer to the Cramtastic Mark 5. I wear it to bed every night," Tucker admitted.

Kagome shrugged at Danny and said, "I have a few SAT prep books. I just study after I finish practicing my magic."

"Danny, you kids are in your last year of high school. While you have more responsibilities than normal teenagers, don't forget that you still have to live like a normal teenager," Kimiko reminded gently.

At Danny's deep sigh, Kagome rested a hand on his shoulder. "Just come over tomorrow. We can study together and work on college applications," she promised.

Crap. College applications. Danny distinctly remembered the pile of applications on his desk that was buried under test papers. _Failed_ test papers. He had printed out applications for schools like MIT and Purdue, but after getting several bad grades in math... Needless to say, he hadn't been spending much time on his applications. He must have looked worse than he felt because he could hear Kagome whispering " _It'll be alright_ " into his ear. He shot her a grateful look.

~:~

"Lisa is having a 300 meter race with her little brother, Sam. Sam runs at an average speed of 5 meters per second and Lisa runs at an average speed of 8 meters per second. How much longer did it take Sam to finish than Lisa?" Kagome asked as she paced in front of her bed with her thick, SAT prep book held in front of her face. She turned an expectant gaze on Danny and waited for him to respond.

"Uhh... Twenty-two and a half seconds?" Danny answered after doing some scratch work.

"Right!" Kagome exclaimed with a bright smile. "Next, define the word sanguine."

Danny blanked. "Can I get it in a sentence?" he asked with a sheepish expression.

"Sam isn't usually sanguine, but she can be around Christmas time," Kagome said.

"Cheerful or optimistic."

"Right again. See? You're doing great," Kagome encouraged and plopped down on the bed next to Danny.

Rolling over onto his back, Danny stared up at Kagome with a tired expression. "I'm just months behind. I haven't even started college applications yet."

"Don't be so glum. You're not in this alone. I'll help you, Jazz would fly home in an instant if it meant helping you get into a good college, and -even though you probably wouldn't ask- Mr. Lancer is always offering help," Kagome pointed out.

"You're right. I wouldn't ask Lancer," Danny agreed with a grin. Glancing down at the book in her arms, Danny sat up with a sigh. "Can we take a break?"

"Sure. My brain will explode if I try to cram any more words in it," Kagome admitted and closed the book. "Wanna get something to eat?"

"I actually had something else in mind," Danny said while leaning in.

Quickly identifying the flirtatious look on Danny's face, Kagome smirked. "You _do_ realize that Vlad stayed home today for a reason."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Who cares? The fruit loop is downstairs anyways," Danny dismissed while cupping her cheek.

"Of all the boys to date, I _had_ to date my step-dad's mortal enemy," Kagome sighed before allowing Danny to capture her lips. Danny had to be some kind of professional. Her mind went blank as the feeling of Danny slightly cooler lips sent tingles down to her toes. She vaguely heard the sound of that huge book falling to the floor, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

Kissing Kagome was definitely one of his favorite things to do. She always wore vanilla chapstick and her soft hair (how did girls get their hair so soft?) smelled like flowers when he ran his fingers through it. He could feel her fingers softly grip his shoulders and slide down his front and rest on his chest. While he wasn't a buff as Dash, Danny liked to think that he wasn't a slouch in the muscle tone department. He couldn't stop the confident straightening of his back and (slight) puff of the chest. It must have worked because he felt Kagome fingers grip his shirt as she moaned softly. The sound caused an immediate reaction. He'd never heard her moan before! Maybe a little hum or giggle, but _never_ a moan.

Just when he was about to pull her to him, he felt a chill move up his torso. He had to pull away to release an intruding wisp of mist from his mouth. The realization of what was happening hit him milliseconds before he felt a tight grip on the back of his shirt. A startled yelp escaped him as Danny was literally tossed across the room and into a wall. He could hear Kagome calling out to him, but he was more concerned with the stinging sensation along his back. Cracking an eyes open, Danny glared up at his attacker. "What's your _problem,_ Plasmius!?"

Before Vlad could answer- and _boy_ did he have a lot to say- Kagome interjected. "He doesn't have a problem. He's just being a protective and caring father," Kagome complimented. "I appreciate his concern, but he doesn't need to worry because we're going back to studying right away!"

Vlad raised a finger high in the air, his authoritarian mode activated. "Kagome, I allowed Daniel to study with you in your room with the rule that he study _only._ But if he cannot respect my wishes in my own home, I will be forced to show him the door."

"That's not necessary. He'll be good. I promise. We have a lot of work to do and I'm sure you do too so I'll let you get back to it," Kagome rushed while pushing Vlad from the room.

"Do not be fooled, Daniel. I see _everything_ that goes on in my home!"

Danny rolled his eyes with a scoff. "What's his problem?" he asked and reclaimed his seat on the bed.

Kagome sighed. "Would it kill you to try not to fight with Vlad?" Kagome shot Danny an expectant look, her arms folded loosely over her chest. She did care deeply for Danny, but it was getting a little tiring playing peacemaker.

"It's not my fault he's acting like-"

"Like my dad?" Kagome interrupted with a brow raised.

" _Step-_ dad," Danny corrected.

" _Dad,"_ Kagome stressed. Danny opened his mouth to defend himself, but stopped. Taking advantage of the silence, Kagome spoke, "I know it's hard to let go of the past. But can you even call Vlad your mortal enemy anymore?"

"What are you talking about? Of course I can!"

"You and Vlad didn't get along because of how he treated your dad. But you have to admit that Vlad has been getting along a lot better with your dad lately," Kagome said as she sat next to Danny on the bed. It wasn't a secret that Vlad and Jack had been spending much more time together. While Vlad still found things that Jack did to complain about, he was always back at the Fenton's doorstep. "If Vlad is willing to move on and put the past behind him, can't you?"

"Okay. So he's not trying to kill my dad anymore. What about how he treats me?" Danny argued. Before Kagome could get a word in, Danny was standing and gesturing wildly. "Should I give him a medal for deciding to turn over a new leaf? It doesn't change what he's done."

"It doesn't, but at least he's trying to make things better."

"Why are you defending him? He's infected Sam and Tucker with ecto-acne, he's sent professional ghost hunters after me, humiliated my dad on more than one occasion, and that's just the tip of the iceberg!"

"He's not perfect, but he's trying to change. I believe in second chances, Danny. If you don't want to forgive Vlad, I don't agree with your decision, but I can't stop you. I would prefer if you at least tried to treat my step-father with some more respect," Kagome said in a level tone. At the aghast look on Danny's face, she continued. "He's not the villain you're making him out to be. Vlad has been good to my mom, my brother and me. And I would like it if my boyfriend didn't call my dad a crazed-up fruitloop at the dinner table."

~:~

Nakoda set out two tea cups and platters with slow, shaky movements. Losing her magic had changed her entire life. Since losing her magic, she'd become slow in her actions and eternally weary. Shuffling back into the kitchen, she grabbed the whistling kettle from the stove top before moving back to the table. With deep breaths, she lowered herself onto the cushion at the table. It had only taken her nine and a half minutes to prepare the table today. Maybe she was getting better...

"Mom!" a voice called out loudly from another room.

"In here," Nakoda called back. It took a few seconds, but Judai eventually stuck his head in through the doorway.

"Hey. What are you doing? You should have let me make the tea for you," Judai admonished and took a seat at the table.

"I'm more than capable of setting the table, thank you very much. I'm not a vegetable yet," Nakoda huffed and reached for the kettle. With shaky movements, she lifted the metal kettle and tried to pour the water.

Judai watched his mother for several seconds before taking the kettle from her. "Let me do it before you spill it."

Nakoda sighed loudly. "Did you get the reishi for me?"Nakoda asked, eager to change the subject. When Judai handed her a brown paper bag, she accepted it gratefully. The only thing that seemed to ease the pain these days... When she had magic, it was child's play to cast a healing or rejuvenation spell. But now, it was like being human!

"I don't know why you won't let me help you. I can do the spell," Judai pushed.

"It's too late for that now. I've been dodging death for decades. There's no amount of magic that can help me," Nakoda said and took a sip of her tea to wash down the reishi. "I'm more concerned as to where you went last week."

Judai froze. "Last week? I was here...with you. Don't tell me your memory is going too," Judai said with a nervous chuckle.

"My memory is perfectly fine. You left in the afternoon on Halloween. You never leave my side and then you just up and disappear. Where did you go?"

Judai sighed loudly as his shoulders slumped. There was never any sense in lying to a witch. It was like they had eyes in the back of their heads and a built-in lie detector. "Don't judge me or get mad... I went to see Kimiko."

"You just don't know when to quit. Do you?" Nakoda asked her only son with a sigh. Nakoda rolled her eyes as she sipped her tea.

"She was getting married! I had to say something!" Judai exclaimed with a sheepish shrug.

"I still can't believe she would do that to those kids. What sane-minded witch marries a ghost!?" Nakoda exclaimed with a disgusted scoff.

" _What_!?" a new voice shouted in shock and upset. Nakoda and Judai froze. Both their eyes flew over to the doorway where the sound of heels stomping on the floors was coming closer. Within seconds, a middle-aged woman in a tailored, black suit with a blue undershirt and short, black pumps. Her black (and slightly grayed) hair was up in an immaculate and rather classy chignon bun. She had a deep frown on her face as her dark eyes analyzed Nakoda and Judai.

"Kurai! To what do I owe the pleasure?" Nakoda asked with feigned curiosity.

"I had to see you for myself. I heard about what happened," Kurai said as she walked slowly into the room. Her brown eyes raked up and down Nakoda's form, before she nodded once to herself.

"Have you come to kick an old woman while she's down?" Nakoda asked and sipped her tea.

Judai contemplated leaving the room. He wasn't sure if it was Kurai's magic that was causing it, but the room suddenly felt about fifty degrees colder. The tension was so thick, you could cut it with a knife.

"Me? No. I have better things to do than remind you of your failures in life, Nakoda," Kurai said with a scoff. Her eyes slid onto the other occupant of the room. "Judai," she acknowledged.

"Kurai. How can we help you?" Judai replied with a steely tone.

"I know that my hearing isn't failing me, but I need you to repeat what you said just before I entered," Kurai requested. She wasn't surprised to see both Nakoda and Judai remain quiet. With a dangerous narrow of her eyes, she said, "Let me make this simpler then. Has Kimiko married a _ghost_?"

"It's really not your concern. You disowned her decades ago. What do you care?" Judai asked with a scoff.

"Honestly, I don't. Kimiko has spat on our traditions all her life. But if what you're saying is true, then my daughter has committed a crime that can _never_ be forgiven," Kurai said with a voice thick with anger and revulsion.

~:~

Behind the Master's estate, Kimiko and Vlad busied themselves with tending to the expansive garden. While Vlad watered the roses, Kimiko used her magic to restore some tomato plants that had wilted. Once he deemed the soil wet enough, Vlad took off his sun hat and wiped away the sweat on his face with a handkerchief. "How are the tomatoes looking, my dear?" Vlad called out.

"Amazing. We might have to eat tomato soup for the rest of the week so we don't waste them all," Kimiko replied.

While Vlad walked over, he smirked superiorly at the sight of the healthy and bountiful vegetable garden. "My dear, you have the greenest thumb I have ever seen."

"Thanks, hun," Kimiko replied with a bright smile. Their flirting was cut short by the sound of metal clashing just seconds before someone cried out. Looking over to her left, Kimiko frowned at the sight of Kagome picking herself up from the ground and dusting out her clothes. "Are you alright, sweetheart?"

"I'm fine, mama!"

"She's rather determined," Vlad acknowledged. They watched as Kagome raised her katana and advanced on the Fright Knight. "I'm not sure how I feel about her learning to use a sword."

Kimiko gathered her basket of produce and stood. "It's just a precaution. Hand-to-hand combat isn't much good against an enemy with a weapon. She's not going to go around town getting into sword fights," Kimiko soothed.

"She's still just a teenager," Vlad argued.

"So is Danny, but he can freeze the entire town hall building in a matter of seconds. Her world is filling up with threats that she will need to be able to handle."

"I'd rather if she just stuck to her magic. Can't she just carry around a container of salt?"

"She already does," Kimiko said with a chuckle. "Not every threat will be ghostly. Wouldn't you rather she be prepared for anything?"

Vlad watched Kagome block the Fright Knight's attack with some difficulty. "I suppose you're right again."

"I'm _always_ right."

"I'm just curious as to what you're going to say when Judai asks to learn how to sword fight," Vlad replied with a knowing smirk.

"Absolutely not. Martial arts, fine. But he's too young for a weapon," Kimiko said. Her sentence was punctuated with the sound of a loud thud from Kagome's body hitting the ground again. "She'll be able to do more than just protect herself."

"You mean defend Daniel," Vlad guessed.

"Danny doesn't realize it, but the whole world doesn't _have_ to rest on his shoulders. I can understand not wanting to put Sam and Tucker in harm's way. They're just human. But Kagome..." Kimiko trailed off just as the blades clashed across the garden.

"Did you see this coming when you decided to move to Amity Park?" Vlad asked and lead the way back inside the mansion.

Kimiko released a drawn out sigh. "No. It was right after Judai left and I wanted a change of pace. I was being a little selfish when I uprooted my entire family to get away from my ex."

"So you _didn't_ come to study ghosts?" Vlad asked and entered the kitchen.

"The ghosts were a small part of the reason, to be honest," Kimiko admitted. "It was mostly the hurt over being dumped again that helped me decide. Plus, my mother was doing everything she could to rub it in," Kimiko said as she washed the vegetables in the sink. "She would always rub it in when Judai left. In her eyes, I was a terrible witch and girlfriend."

"Well, I have to disagree with her. I don't think I've met a better witch and you are definitely Wife of the Year," Vlad praised before kissing the exposed skin on her shoulder.

"I can count on one hand the amount of witches you've met and I've only been your wife for a week," Kimiko pointed out smartly.

"And you've already won the title! My dear, you're a natural."

~:~

Moi-Moi: Any comments? Quite a bit of things happened in this chapter. I would have loads of questions...

Next time: " _But you have to know something about ghosts. Right?" Valerie persisted._

 _"What makes you think that?" Kagome replied with a mask of indifference._

 _"I know who your mom is and what she does," Valerie said and folded her arms expectantly. Kagome's eyes widened._


	8. Valerie Gray, PI

Moi-Moi: Hey guys! It's been WAY too long. I'm just starting to get used to living the life of an adult. Cleaning, cooking, working, studying (because I'm going back to school. You think four years of college would be enough), and trying to fit in exercise, sleeping, shopping is a LOT. It makes me wish my mom could do it all for me again...

So...I've been tossing around the idea of continuing these stories after this one is complete. It's just that I said "trilogy", but my mind keeps bringing up the idea of the characters' adventures _after_ high school. I don't know. They're all just half-formed ideas anyways. Honestly, it's up to you guys. I could go either way on the matter. But if you guys wanted it, I would do it.

Anyways! I don't want to keep you guys hanging any longer. Let's just get started!

~:~

This was probably the _worst_ Monday in the history of Mondays. Mondays normally got a lot of flak for being the day that signified the end of the fun weekend and the start of mundane life once again. Statistically, the worst things that could happen to someone usually happened on a Monday. When she was thirteen, Kagome had her nose broken in gym class on a Monday. She was pretty sure that she had fought her own grandmother to save Danny on a Monday, too. So why should this Monday break the trend?

"You're Kagome. Right?"

Turning away from her locker, Kagome faced the person who had approached her. "Hi, Valerie. Yeah, I'm Kagome Takahashi. Can I help you with something?"

"Your mom is Kimiko Takahashi," Valerie said with a narrowed gaze.

"Yeah. That's her. I have a feeling I know what you're going to ask. No, I can't get you discounts in my mom's store," Kagome replied and grabbed the last book that she needed for class.

"I don't care about discounts."

"Oh? Never mind then. That's usually what girls ask me," Kagome said with an easy shrug.

"What do you know about ghosts?" Valerie asked in a serious tone.

Thank goodness she was still facing her locker. Valerie would have definitely picked up on her surprised expression. Taking a calming breath, Kagome turned to face Valerie with a confused look. "Ghosts? How long have you been interested in ghosts, Valerie?"

"That's _none_ of your business," Valerie started defensively. Catching herself, Valerie relaxed her stance and slapped a bright smile onto her face. "I mean, I was just curious. We _do_ live in Amity Park after all. Is it so weird that I want to learn more about how I can protect myself."

Protect herself? Kagome resisted the urge to give Valerie an incredulous stare. Kagome smiled patiently before closing her locker. "Sorry, Valerie. But I can't help you. Why don't you ask Danny's parents?" Kagome suggested before turning to leave.

"But you have to know _something_ about ghosts. Right?" Valerie persisted.

"What makes you think that?" Kagome replied with a mask of indifference.

"I know who your mom is and what she does," Valerie said and folded her arms expectantly. Kagome's eyes widened.

"My mom?" Kagome parroted while turning a suspicious gaze onto Valerie.

"She's Kimiko Takahashi, the ecto-biologist," Valerie clarified.

Kagome subtly breathed a sigh of relief. Of _course_ Valerie didn't know that her mother is a witch. "Yeah. It's a part-time thing. Listen, Valerie. I don't know a lot about ghosts. I guess you can ask my mom if it's _that_ important to you."

"No. You're right," Valerie said with an easy chuckle. "It's just that I thought you would know something."

"What made you think that?" Kagome tried to ask nonchalantly.

"It's just that a lot of ghosts have been targeting you lately. Phantom more than any other. You don't have any idea why?" Valerie asked, her pleasant demeanor quickly exchanged for a suspicious one.

They hadn't interacted much in the past, but Kagome could easily tell what Valerie was fishing for. "No. I don't. See you around, Valerie," Kagome dismissed. For several seconds, both girls quietly stared each other down before going their separate ways. Great. Was she going to have to add Valerie to her quickly-growing list of problems?

Valerie filed away that little exchange for later. If there was one thing Valerie wasn't, it was an idiot. Something was _definitely_ going on with the Takahashi family. She couldn't put her finger on it though. Maybe it had something to do with Vlad Masters? But why would a ghost marry a ghost hunter? Maybe it was part of his cover? But that didn't explain how a ghost hunter would lower themselves to be with a _ghost._ She probably didn't know. "Some ghost hunter she is..." Valerie scoffed, carefully avoiding the fact that she herself hadn't been able to recognize Vlad for ghost at first either.

~:~

Kimiko sipped at the hot coffee in her paper cup as her eyes scanned the pages of a magazine. She was trying to blend in as best as she could from where she sat outside a small cafe downtown. Lately, there was always a reporter looking for an interview. Her life had quickly turned into the hottest gossip in Amity Park. And why wouldn't it? She had just married the mayor of the town so it was only natural that _everyone_ wanted an interview. Not only that, her home had been destroyed in a ghostly death match. She was a walking scoop for any news station/gossip rag.

"Mrs. Masters?"

Kimiko nearly sighed aloud. In all honesty, she had decided to hyphenate her name rather than take Vlad's last name. She had already made a name for herself around the world in the fashion and science community. It was just easier to keep things as simple as possible. "Yes?" Kimiko replied as she stared up at the dark-skinned teenage girl that was standing in front of her.

"My name is Valerie Gray. I go to school with your daughter, Kagome," Valerie said with a smile.

"Oh! Okay. What can I do for you, Valerie?" Kimiko asked.

"It's just that I've read a lot your work on ecto-biology and I have a few questions," Valerie said and pulled some papers out of her backpack.

Kimiko' eyes widened. A teenaged girl who _didn't_ want to immediately talk fashion? "Of course. Take a seat," Kimiko said with a smile and gestured to the empty seat across from her.

"Thank you," Valerie replied and quickly pulled out the chair. Once she was seated, Valerie flipped through a paper before turning it around and displaying it for Kimiko. "In this article, you talked about using different plants to fight ghosts. Can you really do that?"

"Well, Valerie. The first thing you have to understand is that I don't fight ghosts. I don't consider myself a ghost hunter. But, I do think that some plant extracts can be used as a ward against ghosts."

"Like blood blossoms?"

Kimiko smirked. "And how does someone so young know about blood blossoms?"

Valerie froze before laughing loudly. "Oh. I just read about them in a book somewhere," Valerie said with a casual wave of her hand. "Some of the plants you talked about, where did you find them?"

"To be honest, Valerie. Many of those plants are extremely rare and cost a lot of money to get a hold of. You're better off using something more commonplace," Kimiko suggested.

"What? Like _salt?"_ Valerie replied with a scoff.

"I don't see why not," Kimiko replied seriously.

Valerie could only stare at the older woman. She wasn't sure if this woman was a genius or down-right crazy. Glancing back down at the research articles in her hands, Valerie frowned deeply. They cost a lot of money to get, huh? Well, Valerie knew someone who had a lot of money just sitting around...

~:~

Skulker touched down amidst the jungle on his island, his green eyes glancing left and right warily. He liked to walk through the thicket every time he got back to his keep, sometimes remotely releasing one of his captive ghosts to give himself the challenge and thrill of hunting them down again. In the middle of his training, Skulker caught an unfamiliar scent on the wind. Reading a pistol with a spectral paralysis dart, Skulker kept his senses alert. "I _know_ you're there..." he said in a low tone.

"Bravo. I suppose that's why you're the Ghost Zone's self-proclaimed _greatest_ hunter."

Turning quickly with a gun at the ready, Skulker turned a wary eye onto the intruder. With a brow raised, Skulker slightly lowered his weapon. "Ghost child? What happened to you?"

"I think we've got a case of mistaken identity. I haven't gone by _Danny Phantom_ in a _long_ time," the ghost smirked.

"Who are you!?" Skulker demanded and charged up the many rocket launchers equipped in his suit.

The ghost raised his hands in surrender, that cool smirk never leaving his face. "You can call me Dan, Skulker."

Skulker's gaze narrowed. He'd just gotten back from the human world, Plasmius calling him with a new assignment. He was to hunt down any information on an older, full-ghost version of the ghost child. And what do you know? The whelp just happened to fall into his lap. Skulker was slightly disappointed, however. He did enjoy the hunt... "I know who and what you are. I was given the task of capturing you," Skulker informed. A slight lie, but Plasmius didn't say that he couldn't hunt the whelp.

"Let me guess. By the cheesehead, Plasmius? He's the last of your concerns. I have something far more interesting in mind," Dan said with a smirk.

"Oh?"

"You're a hunter, Skulker. I know you live for the thrill of seeking out rare prey as a test of skill. I'm a full-ghost. I'm sure you've hunted plenty of them," Dan said in a slick tone. "But have you ever hunted a witch?"

Skulker eyes widened and he nearly dropped his weapons. "Are you _crazy?_ I don't hunt witches," Skulker dismissed. _Anymore._

"Not up for the challenge?"

"I've had enough run-ins with witches to last me the rest of my afterlife. I don't need anymore. I'd rather hunt _you_ to be honest."

"I'm going to tell you something I heard from a trustworthy source. I am about to lead an assault on a witch that will rock the fabric of time and space. It's my destiny," Dan said in a serious tone.

"You're a dead man walking," Skulker scoffed.

Dan rolled his eyes at the pun before continuing, "I'm not afraid to stand up to a witch or my weaker self. Alone, I'm powerful enough to wipe out any ghost that I choose. I nearly killed them both the last time I faced them."

" _What!?_ You faced the witch and lived?" Skulker asked in a shocked voice.

"She may be a witch, but she's still human. And as for my weaker self, I could kill him again with my eyes closed. I would just prefer to take Clockwork's advice," Dan said with a careless shrug.

"Clockwork? The time ghost? _He_ told you to face the witch?" Skulker balked. Not many interfered with the time keeper, but Skulker was aware of his reputation. If Clockwork predicted something, it was destined to happen.

"Face her with an army of my own. She won't stand a chance. Can I count on you, Skulker?" Dan asked and offered his hand.

"You want me to trust you, go against my employer, and risk my neck for you?" Skulker asked with a dubious look.

"Would you rather bow to your new Ghost King before she throws some salt on you?"

Skulker wasn't sure if he was being deliberate with that salt comment. But, nonetheless, it had the desired effect. "Let's get one thing clear. I'm not fighting _for you_. I'm fighting _against_ the witch," Skulker said and firmly shook Dan's hand. Dan smirked.

~:~

Kurai flipped through her novel, a pair of thin-framed glasses resting on the bridge of her small nose. She had a few more minutes to wait until the rest of council arrived. She had already laid out some tea, but she doubted that anyone would be drinking it today. The agenda for the meeting would keep everyone far too busy to worry about refreshments.

In Japan, the highest role of leadership for the witch covens was given to only five women. Being one of those women and definitely the head of the council, the task of choosing the right course of action usually fell to her. She was usually the person to make the hard decisions and administer punishment for wrong doing. So many looked to her for wisdom and guidance.

At exactly ten p.m., Kurai felt the ripple of magic being used in her home. It took only a matter of seconds before several witches stormed into the living room with urgent expressions on their aged faces. "Kurai, is it true?"

"Please have a seat, all of you. I've called you here because we must act swiftly and decisively," Kurai started and tucked away her novel. The four other women took seats around the low table while exchanging wary glances. "I will not lie. I have spent a fair amount of my life denying the truth that I have a daughter. But now, I can say that without a doubt, I have no daughter."

"Has Kimiko really renounced all that she was taught? _How_ could she _do_ such a thing?" one woman spoke up with a troubled expression.

"I've heard that she is raising her children to be nothing more than troublemaking heathens. She allowed her only daughter to strip the magic from Nakoda and leave her for dead," another inputted.

"This is what happens when you allow the younger generation to run _wild_. They forget the code and do whatever they please!"

Kuai raised a hand to call for silence. "Kimiko has spat on our code. She has wed and most likely bedded a ghost. From what I was able to gather from Nakoda, Kimiko has also allowed Kagome to become close to another ghost as well."

" _Despicable_."

"Now, we must not blame Kagome. She hasn't been properly taught and trained. There is still time for her to redeem her actions," Kurai pointed out.

"I'm sorry to say, but there is no hope for your daughter, Kurai. Such a crime against nature is unforgivable," a woman said with a solemn shake of her head.

"I am aware. Do not worry. Kimiko will answer for her crimes. In addition, those ghosts who have gotten out of line will be taught their place," Kurai announced. At the hums of agreement from the other women, Kurai continued. "Kimiko has taken up residence in a town in America known as Amity Park. The American witches have neglected their duties and allowed ghosts to run amock and threaten thousands of innocent people. It is time that we take control of the situation and put an end to this foolishness."

"We'll gather as many as we can to fight those _monsters_. But Kimiko's judgment should be left to you, Kurai."

"Thank you, Satomi. And ladies, thank you all for coming. Let us go forward and do as we have always done."

"Maintain the balance," the other women replied.

~:~

Moi-Moi: If anything is unclear about that last scene, please don't hesitate to leave a comment. But basically, there are witches all over the world and every country/continent has some families that are older and larger that act as a governing body for all the witches in their area. If that makes sense...

Next Time: _"This has gone on for too long, Clockwork!" an Observant shouted. "We will not stand back and allow you to further doom us all!"_

 _"I guess you're done observing now?" Clockwork asked with a smirk._

 _"Yes. We take action for all serious threats against ghost kind. Now that you have brought a war to our door, we can no longer remain passive. We will handle the threat without your assistance. Furthermore, you are hereby stripped of your authority and power, Clockwork," the Head Observant stated resolutely._

 _"You're firing me?" Clockwork asked with a raised brow. "There's something I didn't expect."_


	9. Federal Laws Are More Like Guidelines

Chapter 9: "Federal Laws" Are More Like "Guidelines" Anyways

Moi-Moi: Word up, peeps! ...I'm sorry. I won't do that again. That was terrible. Ick.

So...I've been tossing around the idea of continuing these stories after this one is complete. It's just that I said "trilogy", but my mind keeps bringing up the idea of the characters' adventures _after_ high school. I don't know. They're all just half-formed ideas anyways. Honestly, it's up to you guys. I could go either way on the matter. But if you guys wanted it, I would do it.

~:~

Clockwork sighed as he floated through the halls of the Observants' Keep. The Observants were taking up his valuable time with yet _another_ hearing. He didn't have time to attempt to soothe their worries again. He had things to do and timelines to guide.

Once he got near the room where his hearing would take place, two Observants stood at attention before opening the double doors for him. Clockwork acknowledged them with a nod of his head before floating inside. The second he was spotted, the many Observants in the room began to rabble loudly. Sighing almost inaudibly, Clockwork took his place on the stand at the center of the room.

"Order! Order!" the head Observant shouted and banged his gavel. High Observant Council meeting number 563,240 is now called to order!"

Clockwork silently aged as he stared at the head Observant. If he kept quiet and only spoke when necessary, this would go fast enough for him to make his 12:30 appointment...

"Clockwork, you have been summoned before the High Council to stand trial for your crimes against ghost-kind as well as for your performance review. Let us begin with an evaluation of your actions as time keeper," the head Observant stated and gestured to the swirling portal at his side. "You have disregarded the orders of the High Council on numerous occasions and by doing so endangered the safety of all ghosts. Additionally, you have foreseen the coming of the third Ghost-Witch War and have refrained from taking action to stop it."

"According to you," Clockwork replied while shifting into his youthful, boyish form.

"The call to arms has already been sounded, Clockwork! Witches are coming and they aren't just coming for your protégé, Danny Phantom. They are coming for us all!" the head Observant shouted, quickly losing his temper.

"Is it so hard to believe that everything is as it should be? I'm not worried. You shouldn't be either," Clockwork said in a level tone and shifted ages again.

"Let it be known that the evil Phantom is currently running free throughout the ghost zone, gathering followers for the assault he intends to fire on the witch and ghost child, Kagome Takahashi and Danny Phantom," the head Observant continued as if he hadn't heard Clockwork speak.

"I've already spoken to him. He's made his choice and he'll get his comeuppance," Clockwork said. "Everything is _fine."_

"This has gone on for too long, Clockwork!" an Observant shouted. "We will not stand back and allow you to further doom us all!"

"I guess you're done observing now?" Clockwork asked with a smirk.

"Yes. We take action for all serious threats against ghost kind. Now that you have brought a war to our door, we can no longer remain passive. We will handle the threat without your assistance. Furthermore, you are hereby stripped of your authority and power, Clockwork," the Head Observant stated resolutely.

"You're firing me?" Clockwork asked with a raised brow. "There's something I didn't expect."

"Confiscate his staff," the head Observant ordered.

Clockwork passively allowed his time staff to be taken from him. Glancing up at the head Observant, he said with a frown, "Fine. I'm done. If you think that you can do a better job, then by all means go ahead. Everyone _insists_ on learning things the hard way."

"This isn't a game, Clockwork! This has never been a _game."_

"Since I am stripped of my authority, I assume that I am no longer responsible for Danny Phantom's future?"

There was a second of hesitation on the Observants' part. They all exchanged wary glances. "We will handle the evil Phantom. We have handled powerful ghosts in the past, we can do it again," the head Observant said resolutely.

"Oh? Then I wish you good luck," Clockwork said before gliding away from the stand. He left the keep while stretching his elderly form. Since he was no longer employed, there was no reason to stay. What more could they do to him? Re-hire and then fire him all over again? Nonetheless, this was a blessing in disguise. Clockwork couldn't remember the last time he took a vacation. Smirking softly, Clockwork slipped through a random doorway, leaving no traces of himself behind.

~:~

Decked out in her ghost hunting garb, Valerie zoomed towards City Hall under the night's shroud of darkness. She couldn't have her dad know that she was out this late on ghost hunting business. He'd _flip._ But it was all going to pay off soon enough... Valerie couldn't hold back her smirk. While she didn't believe in allying with or trusting a ghost (except in _dire_ situations), she was going to put a little faith in Vlad Masters. Well... More like she was going to try to twist his arm to get what she wanted. If he didn't want to comply, there was always her good ole friend, Blackmail.

Swooping through Mayor Masters' open, office window, Valerie quickly came to a stop before dismounting her jetsled. While removing her helmet, Valerie turned and faced Vlad with her usual, determined grin.

"Ah, Miss Gray. What can I do for you this evening?" Vlad asked with a wide grin.

Valerie watched him lounge in his chair with a glass of amber liquid in his hand. He looked every bit the suave business man without a care in the world. His wedding band glinted in the lights of his office. Valerie's eyes narrowed slightly. "Hello, Mayor Masters. I need your help with a favor."

"And what might that be?"

"I was speaking to Ms. Takahashi... Well, I guess she's Mrs. Masters now," Valerie said with a grin. She allowed Vlad to have his moment as he chuckled loudly and fondly stared down at his wedding band. Once he had an easy grin on his face, he waved for her to continue. "She told me some interesting things. Have you ever heard of Nynx's Spores, Mayor Masters?"

She watched as Vlad stopped smiling while sitting up at attention. "No, I don't believe thatI have."

Valerie grinned. "They're spores from a plant that can take down a ghost when they're breathed in. Some old Polish guy discovered them over a hundred years ago. You'd be surprised how many rare plants can be used for ghost hunting."

"I don't think I need to remind you that ghosts don't need to breath, Valerie," Vlad said with a knowing smirk.

"Yeah I know. But _Phantom_ does," Valerie pointed out with a smug grin. Valerie noticed the slight shift in Vlad's posture as he momentarily lost his composure. What was that about? Was he getting worried?

"And how do you know that?"

"That attack of his- that ridiculous wail. He has to inhale to do it. One whiff of these Spores and he's a goner," Valerie explained. Just like that, Vlad subtly relaxed. What was that about? It almost seemed like he was worried about Phantom...

"Your wife thinks that they can be used as ward against ghosts. I looked into it, and I think she's right. I wanted to get my hands on some as soon as possible, but they're kind of _expensive,"_ Valerie hinted.

"Is your current equipment not working?" Vlad asked.

"It's working fine. But I figured that it wouldn't hurt to try something new," Valerie said.

"I must say that I admire your tenacity, Valerie," Vlad said with a chuckle and shake of his head. "Alright. I'll look into it. Now, if you don't mind, I have a wife and family to get home to," Vlad said and stood up from his desk.

"That reminds me. There's something else that I need," Valerie said with a sly grin. Vlad stopped his packing to raise a brow at Valerie. "You mentioned family and it got me thinking about my dad. I've been working for you for two years now, Mayor Masters. I have yet to see this job improve my way of life."

"Of course, my dear. I understand that you are genuinely interested in cleaning up the streets and protecting the town from those terrible ghosts. But I also understand that you have outside interests and needs. You need only ask."

"That's good to hear," Valerie said while approaching his desk. She grabbed a notepad and pencil from off the desk before quickly jotting down '$1000'. With a small smirk she slid the notepad over for Vlad to see.

Upon glancing down at the notepad, Vlad's brows raised slightly. "I think that's a bit much for a teenager. What would you possibly spend that much money on in a month?"

"It's not per month. It's per week," Valerie said with her arms folded over her chest and a hard look on her face.

Vlad balked. "You can't be _serious!"_

 _"_ No. You're right," Valerie said and took back the pad. She erased the one and replaced it with a five before plopping the pad back down.

"Valerie," Vlad warned with his eyes narrowing. "I am a reasonable man. I am willing to entertain your request, but only to a certain point."

"See, the thing is, Mr. Masters... I know a lot of things about you- things you would want to keep hidden from the public. I mean, you gave a fourteen-year-old girl dangerous, ghost hunting equipment. That's not something a responsible, public figure should do," Valerie hinted.

Vlad's eyes narrowed dangerously as he came around his desk and stood at his full height in front of Valerie. "Dear girl, I don't think you have any idea what you're suggesting."

Valerie didn't back down. "You know what I don't get? Your wife is a ghost hunter. Does she know the truth about you? Did you marry her and not tell her that you're...well, _you know."_

"That I'm _what?"_ Vlad asked with a venomous tone that promised harm.

"A ghost," Valerie whispered like a threat. "I know the truth, Vlad. I saw you change into the Wisconsin Ghost years ago. I kept it secret until it suited me. And what do you know? It's _suits me,"_ Valerie said and glared. She waited for him to say something to her accusation, but he kept quiet for some time.

"Dear girl, what you're attempting to do is called extortion. I'm not sure if they teach this at the high school, but it is a federal crime."

"You're trying to scare me, but it's not going to work," Valerie said and grabbed the notepad up from the desk. She smacked the pad right in the middle of Vlad's chest with a smirk. " _Per week. Plus,_ my dad gets a boost to his paycheck. I don't care how. Just do it. And the Nynx's Spores. Don't forget them. Or else I don't just go to the press. I wonder how your wife will react to the news that she married a _freaky ghost."_

Head held high, Valerie stepped away from Vlad and mounted her jetsled. Her heart was pounding like mad as she took off through the window that she had entered. Once she was far enough away, she took a deep breath and blinked rapidly. She couldn't believe that she had gotten away with that. A small part of her did feel worried when Vlad had brought up the words, "federal crime". But she wasn't about to back down. Who was going to believe that Vlad Masters was being blackmailed by a seventeen-year-old girl that he'd never had any public interactions with. There was _no_ way Vlad could out her without outing himself. She had him right where she wanted him.

~:~

Vlad watched Valerie leave with a deep frown. _Great._ Now, he has yet _another_ problem. It was bad enough that Skulker hasn't reported back with information yet. Just _what_ was Skulker waiting for?

Grabbing his cell phone, Vlad quickly dialed Kimiko's number from memory. Three rings in, he heard her answer. "It seems we have a new problem."

" _What is it? Is it the kids?"_

"Not our kids. I have some things to confess and I hope that you'll forgive me."

" _...What did you do? You didn't hurt Jack did you? You two were getting along so well!"_

"No, my dear. Jack is alive. This is something new," Vlad hinted. Really, he should have told her months ago. This was for the best. Surely, Kimiko would understand. She was a reasonable (and forgiving) woman...

 _~:~_

Moi-Moi: How are you guys liking the story so far? Things are really starting to heat up. Like you have NO idea how intense things are gonna get.

Next Time: _"Doesn't it feel weird to you?" Danny asked with a hopeless shrug._

 _"Trying to live life like a normal teenager?" Kagome replied._

 _"But we're not normal! Nothing about our lives are normal," Danny said with a wide gestures before slumping. "I'm really getting tired of pretending to be something I'm not..."_

 _Sam, Tucker, and Kagome exchanged worried glances._


	10. The Rise Before the Fall

Waking up at 8 a.m. on a Saturday was one of the hardest things Danny had done in a long time. As he stood outside Casper High with his friends, he wiped the sleep from his eyes and released a jaw-splitting yawn.

"Geez, Danny. Were you up late last night? You look terrible," Sam remarked.

"Thanks, Sam. I couldn't fall asleep. I was too freaked out about the test," Danny explained.

"What do you have to feel freaked out about? We've been studying like crazy for this thing. You'll do fine," Kagome soothed while rubbing her hands along Danny's shoulders soothingly.

"Sure. We'll see."

"Don't be so pessimistic, Danny. If someone like Dash can get into college, you're more than capable," Tucker soothed with an easy-going grin.

Danny tried to smile, but it felt strained. It wasn't just the test that was on his mind. Danny couldn't shake the mounting feeling that he shouldn't be here. Every day that he didn't hear from his evil self, Danny couldn't help but feel that something was terribly wrong. Where was he? Why wasn't he coming after them? His older self had wanted revenge right? The waiting was driving Danny crazy. What if he was coming up with a plan that would be worse than last time?

"Why are we here?" Danny asked before he could stop himself.

"Because we have to take the SAT?" Kagome replied with a brow raised curiously.

"Doesn't it feel weird to you?" Danny asked with a hopeless shrug.

"Trying to live life like a normal teenager?" Kagome replied.

"But we're not normal! Nothing about our lives are normal," Danny said with a wide gestures before slumping. "I'm really getting tired of pretending to be something I'm not..."

Sam, Tucker, and Kagome exchanged worried glances.

"Sorry. It's just that... We're here taking some test when _he's_ out there doing who knows what," Danny clarified.

"I know you're worried, dude. But Kagome's mom said to let it go. She can handle this kind of thing right?" Tucker supplied.

Seeing that Danny wasn't appeased, Kagome squeezed his shoulders once and said, "You can head into the ghost zone after we finish the SAT. How does that sound?"

"That sounds like a plan," Danny agreed with a firm nod.

~:~

"Good morning, students. My name is Mr. Lancer for those of you who don't know me. And I will be one of the teachers administering the SAT to you this morning along with my co-worker, Ms. Tetslaff," Mr. Lancer droned as he eyed the teenagers who sat before him. He could only recognize about 2/3 of the students here. The rest must have been students who attended private schools or were home schooled. It was well-known that Casper High was the only school in town that administered the SAT so there was always a mix of familiar and unfamiliar faces.

"If at any time you have a question or need to leave the room for any reason, please raise your hand and Ms. Tetslaff or I will assist you," Mr. Lancer said as he gathered up a pile of test booklets and started distributing them.

Mr. Lancer let his eyes move over the students. His gaze couldn't help but stop on Daniel Fenton. The boy was staring down at his answer sheet with his foot tapping anxiously on the ground. Letting his eyes move over to the other corners of the room, Mr. Lancer observed Sam, Tucker, and Kagome. None of them seemed as nervous as Daniel. Mr. Lancer had felt it appropriate to separate Daniel from his friends. The less distractions Danny had, the better.

Danny stared down at the empty bubbles before moving his pencil over to start shading in his name. Why was his hand shaking? This was crazy. He'd taken tests like this before. Granted, the last time he'd taken a standardized test, his friends' and family's lives had been on the line. Squeezing his eyes shut, Danny took a deep breath.

He wasn't evil. He was different from the evil version of him. They were two, separate Dannys with totally different pasts. ...But that creep was still out there somewhere. What if he tried something here? In the middle of his mini-panic attack, Danny spotted something being scribbled along the top of his answer sheet.

 _Are you okay?_

It was scribbled plain as day as if someone had just written on his sheet. Looking to his right, Danny spotted Kagome shooting him worried looks. She tapped the corner of her paper with her pencil. Quickly, he wrote something reassuring underneath her question. He watched her question and his response vanish from the paper before new writing took their place.

 _You sure? You look like you're ready to fly out of here._

He just might. Danny sighed softly and quickly scribbled a reply. He was fine. He'd studied and he would get through this. They hadn't seen his evil self (or any ghost) in weeks. Everything would be fine.

"You may now open your test booklets," Mr. Lancer announced.

~:~

"That wasn't so bad. I think I did a lot better than I thought I would," Danny said with a small smile on his face. He was standing with Sam and Tucker next to his locker in a nearly deserted hallway.

"Glad to hear it, dude," Tucker said and held up his fist for a bump.

"It's about time things started going my way," Danny said as he bumped fists with Tucker. "Who knows? I might actually have a future now."

"You always had a future, Danny. You just had to have a little more faith in yourself," Sam said with a small smile.

"So, do you wanna head out now, dude?" Tucker asked, the conversation now taking a serious tone.

"Sure. I'll let Kagome know that we're leaving," Danny started to say just before a breath of mist escaped his mouth. Just like that, the trio locked eyes before looking around themselves anxiously.

"You think it's _him?"_ Tucker asked as he gripped his PDA and the green lipstick laser.

"I don't know. But I'm gonna go see. Cover me, guys," Danny said and reached for the door to his locker.

Before Danny could slip into the locker, a loud voice exclaimed, ' _Amiko!'._ Danny froze on the spot, a look of confusion on his face. "That sounded like-" Danny started to say, but was cut off by a barking, green blur grabbing onto the cuff of his jeans and yanking him away. Danny shouted in surprise as he was roughly dragged through the halls of Casper High by the tiny ghost. He could see students back away while screaming, not bothering to help him get away from the ghost that was dragging him around like a ragdoll. "What? Who is-" Danny asked as he raised his head to get a good look at the ghost. "Cujo?"

"Amiko!"

Glancing to his right, Danny spotted Wulf running on all fours with a wide grin on his face. At least it wasn't his evil self. "Wulf, kial vi estas ĉi tie?" _(Why are you here?)_

"Mi amiko, estas tempo batali," Wild replied with a serious expression. _(My friend, it is time to fight.)_

"Batali? Kial?" _(Fight? Why?)_

"Por libereco," Wulf answered with a loud howl. _(For freedom.)_

Danny's eyes widened just as Cujo phased them through the school's backwall. He was about to shout at Cujo to heel, but the small dog was already skidding to a stop. Without any hesitation, Cujo started growling lowly as he shifted into his larger form. Danny tried to stand and calm Cujo, but Wulf was pushing him backwards. "Amiko, kaŝi." _(Friend, hide.)_

"What? Why?" Danny asked and attempted to peer around Cujo and Wulf's large, furry frames.

"Let him _go_. I won't ask a second time," Danny heard Kagome's voice command.

"Kagome? Wait! It's not what you think!" Danny shouted, but was cut off by Cujo's loud snarl.

"Danny!"

"Are you okay!?"

Glancing behind him, Danny could see Sam and Tucker exiting the school with frantic expressions. "Don't worry. I'm fine," Danny soothed.

"Sorĉistino!" Wulf shouted with a low growl. ( _Witch!_ )

Running around Wulf and Cujo, he raised his hands with his palms forward in a placating gesture. "Wulf, Cujo. It's okay. She's a friend. Amiko. Okay?"

Wulf frowned deeply before shaking his head wildly. "Sorĉistino!" Wulf objected and ejected his sharp claws.

"Jes, sed ŝi ne vundos vin. Mi promesas," Danny soothed. ( _Yes, but she will not hurt you. I promise.)_

This was not the place or time for this. Anyone could walk by and see him trying to soothe a wolf ghost in Esperanto. He could feel Kagome tugging on the back of his shirt and questioning him softly. This was a wrong move, however. Cujo's hackles raised as he snapped his jaws at her.

"Cujo! Down boy!" Danny commanded. With deliberately slow movements, Danny took Kagome's hand in his before pulling her to stand at his side. He watched Wulf's eyes widen in astonishment. "Amiko," Danny clarified again.

"Amanto," Tucker whispered to Wulf. ( _Lover.)_ If it was possible, Wulf's eyes widened even more. With confusion lighting his features, he pointed at Sam but Tucker shook his head in the negative.

"Amiko, vi flanke kun la sorĉistino?" Wulf questioned with hurt and confusion in his expression. ( _Friend, you side with the witch?)_

 _"_ Mi ankoraŭ estas via amiko," Danny replied. ( _I'm still your friend.)_

"Am I the only one completely lost right now?" Kagome asked as her eyes moved from one person to another.

"Kagome, this is Wulf. He's a friend. We met a long time ago," Danny informed.

"He doesn't speak English. You have to speak to him in Esperanto," Tucker said.

Esperanto? Was that a real language? "Okay. What does he want?" Kagome asked.

"He said that it's time to fight for freedom, but I don't understand what he's talking about."

"La ĉampiono estas ĉi tie. Li kondukos nin al libereco," Wulf elaborated. ( _The champion is here. He will lead us to freedom.)_

"Freedom from what?" Tucker asked.

With a narrowed gaze, Wulf glared at Kagome. "Sorĉistinoj." ( _Witches.)_

"Wulf," Danny started again, but stopped at the sound of a familiar jet sled. " _Oh no._ Wulf, Cujo, you guys have to get out of here. Escapi!" ( _Escape!)_

Before Wulf could respond, a female voice exclaimed, "Paws where I can see 'em, ghosts!"

Wulf glanced up at the hunter pointing the gun at him, before eyeing Danny worriedly. His friend was mouthing for him to escape, but he couldn't leave him behind! Not with a hunter and a witch! Coming to a decidion, Wulf growled and slashed his claws at the air. Grabbing Cujo's collar with one hand, he grabbed Danny's arm with the other before leaping through the portal he had created.

"Danny!" four voices exclaimed at the same time.

~:~

Danny objected loudly to Wulf's rough handling and the sudden inter-dimensional transport, but it didn't do him any good. Wulf's grip on his arm was firm, but not bruising. Luckily, it didn't take long before Wulf had stopped and was gently placing him on his feet. Wulf grinned brightly, seemingly proud of what he had done. Hearing the happy yips at his feet, Danny glanced down. Cujo was once again an adorable puppy, happily slobbering away on Danny's sneakers. "Wulf, where...are...we..." Danny trailed off as he looked around him. This place looked familiar. There was an intense amount of forestry around him that was bringing back a dangerous sense of deja vu.

"Wulf! There you are! We've been looking for you!"

The trio turned at the sound of the new voice only to see Walker walking towards them with two of his goons flanking him. "Walker!" Danny exclaimed and quickly shifted into his ghostly persona. "Don't tell me you're after Wulf again."

"Who let the ghost child into our headquarters!? Sound the alarm! We have an intruder!" Walker shouted at the grunts before he saw them fly off quickly.

"No! Amiko," Wulf said and wildly waved his paws at Danny.

"He's no friend, Wulf. He's a traitor," Walker spat. Wulf growled in confusion, his eyes shooting from Danny to Walker.

"Okay. Now, I'm _seriously_ confused. You _aren't_ after Wulf?" Danny asked as his battle pose relaxed slightly.

"Of course not! I've been looking for him so he can get back to work. He's supposed to be recruiting in Canada right now. Not galavanting with traitors," Walker answered as his eyes narrowed at Wulf.

"Recruiting?" Danny asked and looked to Wulf for clarification, but the werewolf was looking more sheepish than anything. "Recruiting for what?"

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with, ghost child."

Danny glanced up in time to register who had appeared. "Skulker!" _Duh._ This was Skulker's island. How could he forget the place he and Valerie had been hunted and nearly been killed in? "What's going on here?"

Skulker touched down onto the grass before walking over to Walker. "What's _he_ doing here?" Skulker practically hissed.

"Wulf brought him," Walker replied.

Okay. Since when did Skulker and Walker work together? None of this was making any sense! "Can someone please tell me what's going on here? Since when are you two friends?"

"Times of war require you to set aside your differences to fight a common enemy," Skulker answered.

"War?" Danny repeated while feeling a sinking feeling in his stomach. "Against witches? Wait a minute. Is that what the recruiting is for? How long have you been doing that?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Skulker drawled. "You won't get anything out of us, ghost child."

"Your witch will have to get intel some other way," Walker said with a scoff.

"Look. Listen to me. There is no war. Kagome's not interested in fighting you all. She's _not_ evil," Danny denied vehemently.

"But she's not the only witch out there. Is she?"

All at once, dozen of ghosts surrounded them, many of which he recognized. His friends and enemies surrounded him on all sides with matching looks of hatred. In front of him, several ghosts stepped aside to allow someone through. Even Skulker and Walker stepped out of the way. When Danny stared up at the red eyes of his older self, he felt his anger rise. " _You!"_

"Yes. _Me_. Who did you expect?" Dan asked with a smirk.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kick your butt right now," Danny ground out while his hands and eyes glowed green.

"Ne, amiko!" Wulf objected and held Danny back by the shoulder.

"What?" Danny balked and shot Wulf a strange look. He couldn't be serious! Wulf had no idea who this was or what he was capable of! "Wulf, you don't know who he is. He-" Danny started to say, but stopped at the frantically pleading look on Wulf's face.

"Well aside from the reason that you barely pose a threat to me, I don't think anyone here would appreciate you attacking me. Not before I have a chance to lead them to victory," Dan answered. Danny's brows came together as he stared at Dan in confusion. "Judging by the even more vacant than usual expression on your face, I can tell that you're more than a little lost. Allow me to fill you in.

"Witches have wronged every ghost here and everywhere in one way or another. Every ghost here is tired of hiding. Tired of being hunted and threatened by the _so called_ "agents of balance". So, it's time to take a stand and fight for our freedom!" Dan exclaimed. Suddenly, the crowd of ghosts around him shouted cries of agreement. Danny glanced around in shock before staring at Dan speechlessly.

"We will fight them as a unified front and anyone who oposes us will feel our wrath," Skulker said and narrowed his gaze at Danny.

"But you don't _have_ to fight. There doesn't need to be a war! If you would just listen to me, you would see that ghosts and witches _can_ get along!" Danny objected. He looked around at the crowd expectantly, but no one budged. He could see Wulf pull Cujo away from him feet while sadly edging away from him altogether.

"He's _obviously_ been brain washed," Ember scoffed and sneered at Danny.

"No, I _haven't._ I'm sure that I've spent more time with witches than most of you. Don't you think that I know what I'm talking about?" Danny reasoned.

"So, you have never been threatened by a witch, dearie?" the Lunch Lady asked in her soft voice. Danny was ready to deny it, but he hesitated. He'd nearly been killed by a witch- Kagome's grandmother. But it was just one! Apparently, his hesitation was more than enough. "Ha! Then they cannot be trusted!" the Lunch Lady shouted in a violent and booming tone.

"It is time that you give in and accept the truth, Great One," Frostbite spoke up as he stepped through the crowd. "It is better to be with your own kind rather than against us."

"The ghost child isn't welcome!"

"We don't need a traitor amongst us!"

"He's in too deep with the witches! He can't be trusted!"

"He's not the only one. Plasmius has also betrayed his kind and married a witch!" Skulker exclaimed. At the sounds of disgust from the crowd, Danny's jaw dropped.

"No halfa can be trusted!"

"I always knew half-breeds were nothing but trouble!"

"Who needs 'em!? They aren't _real_ ghosts anyways!"

Danny felt like his world was spinning. There were so many voices around him, overwhelming him. Right now, it felt like "halfa" had become a bonafide slur. While his back was turned, he felt something collide with it roughly. Hissing softly, his hand went to his back as he turned around. On the ground behind him, he spotted the rock that had been hurled at him moments ago. He was barely able to duck the second rock that was sent at him.

"See, Danny?"

Facing front again, Danny watched his older self walk towards him with a smug smirk. "It doesn't matter _what_ you say. You can't heal centuries of pain with a few, pretty words. But you wouldn't understand. You're only _half-_ ghost," Dan said and gripped Danny by the front of his jumpsuit.

Danny could hear the loud jeers and cries around him. This was wrong. This was _all wrong._ He tried to pry his older self's hand off of him, but the grip was tight. "You won't get away with this!" Danny promised.

" _Fool._ I already have!" Dan shouted with a loud laugh. Pulling Danny in close, Dan whispered, "You took away my future. It's not enough that I've ruined you here. I'm going to take away everything you have and everyone you care about. When I'm through with you, you'll be _begging_ for a little explosion at the Nasty Burger."

"End him now!"

"Kill the traitor!"

Raising a hand, Dan summoned a swirling portal to the human world. In a louder voice, he proclaimed, "He's not a threat to us. Besides, I want him to be alive long enough to see that by going against his own kind, he chose wrong. You show your face here again, it'll be the last thing you do. Tell your little witchy friend that there's no place on Earth that she can hide."

The loud cheers from the crowd was the last thing Danny heard before his older half chucked him through the portal.

~:~

Moi-Moi: Wow. Dan means business. Kinda sucks to be Danny right now. I'm taking all bets for who you think is gonna win this war! The witches have won the last two, but will the ghostly underdogs taste victory!? (Lol. Sounds like I'm promoting a wrestling match. XD)

So, unlike Danny, I don't know Esparanto. So bear with with (probably terrible) translations.

Next time: _"Clockwork! I need your help. Everyone's lost it. Non one will listen to me and instead they're listening to the evil me and trying to start a war!" Danny exclaimed frantically._

 _"I know," Clockwork replied calmly. "But I can't help you."_

 _"W-what? Why not?"_

 _"It's not my job anymore. My employers think that they can do a better job at keeping the peace so they let me go. I no longer have a responsiblity to look after you nor anyone else," Clockwork said and floated away._

 _"But everything's all wrong! It's not supposed to be like this! Just tell me what I'm supposed to do to fix it," Danny pleaded._

 _"It's too late for that now. I'm done giving you lessons, Danny."_


	11. Coming to America

Moi-Moi: Hey guys! I've been trying for days to start writing this chapter, but I just couldn't get myself to do it. I've been so busy and when I wasn't busy, I was tired and just not in the mood for it. But I'm feeling better now- physically and emotionally- so here I am. Let's get started!

~:~

Of course, the evil, alternate version of himself wouldn't have been kind enough to toss him through a portal that actually lead to the _human_ world. That was asking too much of the villain. Danny floated slowly through this unfamiliar part of the Ghost Zone, his eyes peeled for any sign of life. "For all I know, he could have sent me through time," Danny muttered to himself before freezing in place. _Was_ he in a completely different time? "I need to find Clockwork," Danny decided while looking around him frantically. "Which way do I go?"

~:~

The seconds after Danny had been pulled through Wulf's portal were tense with silence. Valerie was the first to speak, "Where'd he go!?" She was zooming down to closely inspect the spot where Danny had been standing. While she was turning her head left and right to hopefully catch any traces of Danny, she couldn't help but notice that Kagome, Sam and Tucker were huddled together and whispering amongst themselves. From behind her mask, Valerie's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You three! What did that ghost want with Danny!?" she demanded in an authoritative voice.

"How are _we_ supposed to know?!" Sam shouted back with a hard glare.

Valerie was a bit taken aback at the blatant hostility. What did Sam have against the Red Huntress? Sure, Sam held a grudge against _Valerie_. But the Huntress hadn't ever spoken to Sam before! "Look. I'm trying to save him and I can't do that unless I know _everything_ ," Valerie tried again.

"The last thing Danny needs is _your_ help. When was the last time you actually caught a ghost?" Sam pointed out with her arms folded in front of her.

Valerie felt her hackles rise. "Look, you! Out of the two of us, who's the _actual_ professional, ghost hunter!?"

"Do you _really_ want me to answer that?"

"This is going nowhere fast. Come on," Kagome butted in while grabbing Sam and Tucker's hands to pull them away from the scene.

How _dare_ that loser criticize her! What did _Sam Manson_ know about ghost hunting anyways? Valerie wanted to focus on her irritation, but she couldn't shake the nagging, suspicion in the back of her head. Where were they going in a rush? And why didn't they look freaked out? _Everyone_ freaked out when ghosts attacked. To be perfectly honest, something about Kagome had been setting off a lot of warning bells for a long time. "They know something. And I'm gonna find out what," Valerie promised. Dismounting her jetsled, Valerie furtively followed the trio.

~:~

"What _exactly_ was Wulf saying before he took Danny?" Kagome asked once she had led her friends to a spot far enough away from Valerie.

"He was saying something about someone coming to lead them to freedom from witches. He didn't explain a lot," Tucker said with a shrug.

"Witch _es?_ As in plural?" Kagome asked.

"It's safe to say that Wulf was probably trying to protect Danny. I mean, Wulf looked pretty defensive of you, Kagome. Plus, Valerie whipping out her bazooka didn't help," Sam said with a scoff.

"So where would Wulf take him?" Tucker asked.

"Probably the only place where a witch wouldn't be welcome," Kagome answered.

"The Ghost Zone," Sam surmised.

"I'm not sure I can track him if he's not in the human world," Kagome admitted.

"Okay. Kagome, you head over to Danny's and get something you can use to find him. Cover for him with his parents too. Tucker and I will take the Specter Speeder into the Ghost Zone to look for Danny too and to find out exactly what's going on."

~:~

Valerie couldn't _believe_ what she had just heard! When Sam and Tucker started running her way, Valerie ducked further behind the wall she was using for cover. "I _knew_ something was up," Valerie muttered to herself. Not only did they know the ghost that kidnapped Danny, those three knew something about witches too!

"But witches can't be real," Valerie denied in a whispered voice. Right? But ghosts are real... Even weird human/ghost freaks like Vlad Masters and Dani Phantom exist. Maybe... "There's only one way to find out. I'm not through with you _yet,_ Takahashi," Valerie promised and mounted her jetsled.

~:~

Danny wasn't sure how long he had been flying through the Ghost Zone. A few minutes ago, his surroundings felt somewhat familiar. Something kept nagging at Danny though. Why hadn't Clockwork stepped in sooner? Clockwork had stepped in when he first faced his older self and the Time Ghost had made a point to step in and warn them about Kagome's future. So why not now? Had something happened to Clockwork? With a new sense of urgency, Danny took off like a black and white blur.

As usual, Clockwork's Tower was completely silent and deserted. Bursting through the front doors, Danny zoomed through the halls while urgently shouting Clockwork's name.

"I was having a rather peaceful rest," Clockwork said in an annoyed voice as he casually floated in behind Danny.

"Clockwork! I need your help. Everyone's lost it. No one will listen to me and instead, they're listening to the evil me and trying to start a war!" Danny exclaimed frantically.

"I know," Clockwork replied calmly. "But I can't help you."

"W-what? Why not?"

"It's not my job anymore. My employers think that they can do a better job at keeping the peace so they let me go. I no longer have a responsibility to look after you nor anyone else," Clockwork said and floated away.

"But everything's all wrong! It's not supposed to be like this! Just tell me what I'm supposed to do to fix it," Danny pleaded.

"It's too late for that now. I'm done giving you lessons, Danny."

"This doesn't make sense! You're the Time Ghost! There has to be _something_ you can do," Danny pleaded. He stared at Clockwork with wide eyes, his shoulders slumped and his posture tense. This was _crazy!_ Clockwork had to help! He had to do _something!_

"I've done all that I can. I've done my job and got fired for it," Clockwork said and stretched his arms out while floating away. Without his staff, Clockwork was only the master of his own fate. He had no insight as to the fates of others.

"So you're giving up," Danny accused in a disgusted tone.

Clockwork stopped cold for a few seconds before he turned to Danny. The two ghosts stared each other down for several, tense seconds. Clockwork could see the blazing fury in the half-ghost's eyes, but kept his face indifferent. After several seconds, Clockwork spoke again. "Let me offer you some advice, Danny. You've managed to get by with just trapping ghosts and returning them to the Ghost Zone. That won't cut it this time. You're outnumbered and outgunned by enemies who have far more followers, experience, and strength for you alone."

"So... I shouldn't fight them alone?" Danny surmised.

" _Of course not_. You shouldn't fight them with the intent on _saving_ them," Clockwork stressed.

~:~

New York was a pretty cool place. It was one of Dani's favorite places to visit. With so many people around, it was easy to blend in with the crowd and become invisible. No one looked twice at the kid out of school that was roaming the streets unattended. Her favorite thing to do was fly over the city at night. A close second was cosplaying as a female Danny Phantom in Time's Square. It was the easiest way to make money without having to steal it.

Dani was walking home with one hand in the pocket of her sweatshirt as the other dragged a stick along a metal fence. Her stomach was filled with greasy junk food, but she couldn't be happier. All she had to do now was get home and take a nice, warm shower. She was literally living in luxury in the penthouse suite of a five-star hotel. The best part? She didn't even have to pay for it! A little intangibility was all she needed...

Without provocation, Dani felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on edge. She slowed to a stop, her stick no longer clanging along the fence. Looking around her suspiciously, Dani raised her guard. Aside from her, there was no one else on the street. Slowly, Dani started to walk again. It was so quiet tonight. It was _never_ this quiet...

"I know you're there! Why don't you stop hiding and come out where I can see you!" Dani shouted at no one in particular. Even if there was no one there and she was going crazy, at least no one would be around to judge her.

Surprisingly, someone did step out of a dark alleyway across the street. Dani eyed the older woman that stepped out with a cane in her hand. She had a large brown paper bag in her arm that looked like it was filled with produce. The woman made eye contact with Dani before nodding one with a sweet smile. Instantly, Dani felt ridiculous. She mistook some sweet, old lady for a creepy stalker. What was wrong with her? She was probably being paranoid...

Suddenly, the woman stumbled with a pained cry, her groceries spilling all over the sidewalk. Quickly glancing up and down the street, Dani dashed across the deserted street. "Here. Let me help you with those, ma'am," Dani offered and started gathering the produce.

"Bless you, dear," the woman said with a grateful smile.

Dani quickly went about picking up the various fruit and vegetables while stashing them in the brown, paper bag. "I can carry these home for you. They seem pretty heavy," Dani offered as she slipped the last apple in the bag.

"Thank you, dearie. But I don't have anything to offer you in return," the woman said with a frown.

"That's alright. I don't need anything in return," Dani said and stood with the bag in her arms.

"You're such a sweet girl. It's a shame you're so _dirty_ ," the woman said with a shake of her head.

Dani frowned pensively. Dirty? She'd taken a shower this morning. It wasn't like she had been rolling in filth all day. "Dirty?" Dani repeated.

It all happened faster than Dani would be able to recall. The prickling feeling returned full force, a desperate need suddenly screaming at her to run for her life. Her blood literally felt cold and goosebumps covered her entire body. The woman narrowed her gaze just seconds before swinging her cane at Dani's face. The hit left her cheek throbbing and her vision blurry. Roughly, Dani fell onto the asphalt, her hand clutching her cheek. "Yes. _Dirty_. I believe you go by the name _Dani Phantom,"_ the woman said.

With wide eyes, Dani rolled onto her back and stared up at the woman in disbelief. "I have no idea what you're talking about," Dani said as she tried to stand. Before Dani could regain her footing, she felt the woman's cane jab into her collarbone and roughly shove her back to the ground.

Something was off. Why was she moving so slowly? She should have already flown away by now. It's like her muscles didn't want to move. Maybe she could use her ghost powers?

"I wouldn't attempt to use your ghostly abilities," the woman said and held Dani to the ground with her cane. Dani stared down at where the cane was pushing into the middle of her chest. "I'm surprised you actually stopped to help me. You must be a young ghost to be so naive and inexperienced."

"W-what?"

"The food was coated in a paralysis-causing toxin. Absorbed right into your skin and you couldn't even tell," the woman explained.

"W-why? Who are y-you?" Dani stuttered. She could barely hold her head up anymore.

"I'm the one who's going to rid this world of ghosts once and for all. And _yes._ Even half-ghosts like you," the woman said as her finger pressed onto the side of the cane. Instantly, Dani felt a sharp pain in her chest. Not only were her muscles not responding, but it felt like her mind had gone into shock. With an astonished expression, she watched the woman withdraw her cane, revealing a hidden blade that was coated with her red and neon green blood. A small gasp escaped her as Dani fell back onto the street.

"Pick her up and get her out of here," the woman said as she took out a handkerchief and began wiping off the blade. Dani couldn't turn her head to see, but she could hear the thuds of footsteps nearing her. She felt multiple hands on her body, hoisting her up and into the dark alley that the woman had come out of. She couldn't move her muscles, but she could still feel harsh stings from the hands of the people who held her.

"What are we going to do with her, Kurai?"

"When she's feeling up to it, we'll ask her a few questions. I don't think it's a coincidence that she has the same name and appearance as the _other_ Danny Phantom," the woman's voice said.

As _if_ she would ever tell this crazy woman _anything_ about Danny! Dani wanted to scream, shout, and give the woman a piece of her mind, but her mouth wouldn't open. She tried to glare as harshly as she could, but it didn't feel like her facial muscles were responding. Suddenly, the woman entered Dani's line of sight. "But I can tell that she's going to be difficult. That's fine. If she doesn't want to cooperate, she dies. No questions asked. I don't have the patience to haggle with _ghosts_."

~:~

Moi-Moi: It's kill or be killed folks.

Next Time: _Dan stared at the ghostly army he had amassed with a wide smirk. There wasn't a soul that could stop him now- not the Observants, not the witch and definitely not his weaker self. "It's time," Dan said with an evil grin._


	12. No Room For Doubt

Moi-Moi: Hey guys! I've been trying for months to start writing this chapter, but I just couldn't get myself to do it. I've been so busy and when I wasn't busy, I was tired and just not in the mood for it. But I'm feeling better now- physically and emotionally- so here I am. So I was re-reading the last chapter (it's something I always do before writing a new chapter) and I realized something. Danny mentioned that his older self could have transported him through time, but I can't recall a time when the evil Danny has ever done that... SO! Let's just pretend that since (natural) ghost portals have the ability to bend time and space, Dan's portals can too. :)

~:~

Dani groaned softly as her eyes blinked open. Her vision was blurry, her mouth was dry, and her muscles were _so_ heavy. Wherever she was, there was a bright light shining down on her, blinding her from taking in her surroundings. It took her several seconds to garner the energy needed to push her chest off the concrete that she was laying on. It was pointless, however. Her arms gave out on her after five seconds and her chin slammed painfully into the ground. Groaning again, Dani decided to take a small breather before trying that again.

"Pick her up."

Dani froze instantly. When she felt two pairs of hands hoist her off the ground and pull her into a sitting position, she held her breath in fierce anticipation. She was still too weak to sit up on her own, but whoever it was that had picked her up wasn't finished yet. She was hoisted off the ground with her arms raised above her head. Without the energy to fight back, Dani could only glance up at where her wrists were being locked in place by some dangling shackles. Once the shackles closed around her wrists, they started glowing a neon green.

"Let's make this quick," a familiar voice said. Dani faced front to see the old woman from before confidently walking towards her.

"It's a miracle. You don't need your cane anymore," Dani spat with a heated glare.

Without flinching, the woman asked, "How were you created, ghost? You're not dead yet you aren't alive either. What sort of magic made you?"

"Magic? _Seriously?_ You must not know a lot about ghosts," Dani said with a scoff.

The woman folded her arms over her chest, her frown deepening. "I think you'll find that the ignorant one is _you,"_ the woman said. "I've been hunting ghosts since I was a teenager. I've fought and killed ghosts far stronger, smarter, and older than you. Don't think that because you are part human that I won't kill you as well. What good is being human if you're tainted with ghostly energy?"

Dani swallowed thickly while trying to keep the fear from her blue eyes. "Fine. I'll talk," Dani started. "I was a human, but I didn't have the best father. He was a ghost hunter and he experimented on me. He used me to test his equipment and it mutated me."

Dani heard several gasps coming from the shadows out of her field of vision. So there were more people? Great. How was she going to get out of _this_ one? If only Danny was here...

"You're lying. I don't need my magic to tell," the woman said before turning to face the shadows. "These young ghosts think that they can say and do whatever they please without consequence. Their ignorance leaves them blissfully unaware of the truth."

Dani frowned at the woman's back. What the heck was she talking about? Slowly, the woman turned to face her again with an arm outstretched to the side. Dani watched as a dark figure handed the woman a familiar cane. With wide eyes, Dani started tugging on her restraints. They weren't budging! Dani tried drawing on the energy in her ghostly core instead. If she could just go intangible-

Suddenly, a violent shock coursed through her body, causing her mind to go blank and her skin to sting. The electric shock seemed to never end, Dani's screams easily drowning out the sounds of the chains and shackles rattling. Once the attack stopped, Dani could only hang limply from her restraints, her energy now fully drained.

She was staring at the floor below her in a daze when she felt the woman roughly squeeze her chin and jerk her head up. The woman was staring at her with narrowed eyes. "I'm going to show you the truth. You and _every_ ghost like you," she promised. Dani couldn't even get her brain to think of a witty comeback.

~:~

The questions kept buzzing around in Valerie's head. Witches were real? Why did those guys seem so calm after Danny was practically abducted by a ghost right in front of them? And _how_ did they know that it was _her_ in the Red Huntress suit!? Lately, Valerie had been feeling that she held all the cards. But now, she couldn't help but feel horribly misinformed.

From a safe distance, Valerie watched Kagome run through the deserted halls of Casper High. Sam and Tucker had taken off already, to where Valerie wasn't sure. Ducking behind a corner, Valerie watched Kagome run to a locker and quickly start turning the dial. "That's Danny's locker..." Valerie whispered to herself as her eyes narrowed. Valerie watched Kagome pull the locker open before grabbing a strip of pictures from the inside of the door. Valerie's face twisted in confusion as she watched Kagome clutch the pictures in her hands with her eyes shut. What the heck was she doing?

Suddenly, Kagome gasped just before Danny Phantom appeared out of thin air at her feet. Valerie's eyes widened, her every instinct telling her to grab a weapon. She held off on her attack when she saw Kagome drop to her knees and pull the ghost boy in for a tight hug. _What?_ Was Kagome one of Phantom's groupies?

"Danny! Thank goodness you're alright," she was saying. "What happened to you?"

"I...We have a problem. I found the evil me. You won't believe what he's been up to. Where's Sam and Tucker?" Phantom asked and rose to his feet.

"They're borrowing your parents' Specter Speeder to search the Ghost Zone for you. We weren't sure where Wulf had taken you," Kagome explained. "I wasn't completely sure I would have been able to find you if you were in the Ghost Zone."

"Well, we need to get in touch with them. I don't think the Ghost Zone is the safest place right now."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"What Clockwork predicted is coming true. A war is starting and I'm not sure how to stop it. None of the ghosts will listen to me! They're convinced that you and your mom are dangerous. I tried to get Clockwork to help, but he's practically given up," Phantom ranted while throwing his hands up in the air. He ran his gloved hands through his snow white hair before leaning against the lockers. He looked exhausted and stressed out.

What was he talking about anyways? What war? Were ghosts starting a war? Valerie's eyes narrowed. She _knew_ it. It was only a matter of time before ghosts tried something like this.

"If those ghosts are planning to fight, they're going to bring the fight here," Kagome said and folded her arms over her chest. "If it's your evil self that's leading them, those ghosts aren't going to attack only witches. No human will be safe."

"I'm not going to let anyone get hurt. We'll evacuate the city if we have to. I don't know how, but we'll figure out something. For now, let's get Tucker and Sam," Phantom said.

"I'll text my mom and Vlad to meet us at the mansion. We're going to need all hands on deck," Kagome said and pulled out her phone.

Valerie silently watched the two leave together, her hands hovering over her ecto-gun. Everything was making even _less_ sense now! Why were Kagome, Sam, and Tucker on a first name basis with Phantom? Wasn't Wulf the name of the ghost that kidnapped Danny? Why did Kagome say that the ghost had taken Phantom? There were too many questions and not enough answers. But Valerie knew just where to get the answers that she needed...

~:~

Dan walked through the halls of Pariah's Keep- his new home. What better place for the leader of all ghosts than the home of the former king of ghosts? The castle had been damaged and deserted when Dan had moved in, but it had been relatively easy to convince some weak ghosts to repair the castle for him. There wasn't a thing that any ghost _wouldn't_ do for him at this point.

Stopping at the large doors to the throne room, Dan braced his hands on the doors before roughly pushing them open. He smirked at the sight of every ghost in the room flinching upon his entrance. Only Skulker, Walker, Technus, and a few of Walker's goons were familiar to him. He'd never seen the two, robed ghosts with eyeballs for heads before. "You called, Skulker?" Dan asked.

"They came looking for you. We thought that they were coming to join our fight, but they are nothing more than traitors," Skulker said and kicked the two Observants that he had shackled forward. The robed ghosts fell to their knees before Dan, their large eyes gazing up at him warily.

"And what can I do for you gentlemen?" Dan asked pleasantly.

"We are members of the High Observant Council. We have taken the task of protecting ghost and man-kind from all ghostly threats," one Observant spoke.

"We opposed the former king, Pariah Dark and we were instrumental in your defeat as well. Now, we have taken up the task of stopping you once again," the other said with only a slight quiver in his tone.

"Is that so?" Dan replied with a chuckle.

"Yes. You intend to cause a war between ghosts and witches. We cannot allow this. You and most of your followers are young and naive. You have not seen the devastation that these wars bring!"

"Only a fool would follow you. You are leading these ghosts to their deaths like leading cattle for slaughter!"

Dan could see an immediate response in the ghosts around them. They all tensed slightly, their eyes glancing to him with seeds of doubt starting to take root. Great. He couldn't have them losing their faith in him so easily. There would be no room for doubt. He'd have to make an example of these Observants- show them what happened to anyone who went against him. "You think so? You don't think I'm strong enough to take down _anyone_ who gets in my way?" Dan said, his eyes narrowing threateningly. "You think I would hesitate to kill the weaker me? You think I would run away from the girl because she's a _witch_?"

"None of that matters. You won't win. Ghosts never win these battles. We only _survive_."

"I disagree. I don't know about anyone else in this room, but I intend to fight. Not only do I intend to fight," Dan said and grabbed one of the Observants by the front of his cloak. "I intend to _win,"_ Dan said before charging an ecto-ray in his free hand. In front of the other Observant and his higher ranking followers, Dan blasted the Observant without any hint of remorse. "Where I come from, I'm the strongest ghost alive. I've fought and defeated all of my enemies hundreds of times over. Not even the best ghost hunters could stop me. I don't have any forgiveness for _anyone_ who opposes me," Dan said while staring down at the last Observant. His eyes never left his target, but his words fell heavily on every ghost in the room.

Once the Observant was nothing more than a messy splatter of ectoplasm on the floor, Dan looked up at his lackeys. They all watched him warily, the doubt now replaced with frightened respect. That was more like it. "Let's go," he commanded and turned from the room. He walked with his shoulders back and his head raised. He could hear the others following behind him, keeping a generous amount of distance between him and them.

Once he made it to the front doors of the castle, Dan pushed them open with a loud bang. Suddenly, the ghosts at the forefront of the large crowd stopped their chatter to face him. Dan's red eyes glanced over the faces, picking out some familiar ones- Ember, Spectra, Desiree, Johnny 13 and Kitty- amongst the crowd. They all stared back at him with hardened expressions. They looked tense yet determined. Worried, yet ready. _These_ were some ghosts ready to die for their cause. Dan stared at the ghostly army he had amassed with a wide smirk. There wasn't a soul that could stop him now- not the Observants, not the witch and definitely not his weaker self. "It's time," Dan said with an evil grin.

~:~

Moi-Moi: I think we have about two or three chapters left, not including the epilogue. Maybe... Not 100% sure. Don't forget to review and favorite!

Next time: _"Danny?" Valerie exclaimed in shock. Danny turned quickly, his eyes going wide._


	13. Not Your Stereotypical Witch

_They're borrowing your parents' Specter Speeder to search the Ghost Zone for you. We weren't sure where Wulf had taken you._

Valerie had wanted to follow Phantom and Kagome and demand some answers from them. But something held her back- a strong feeling. It was the simplest thing in the world. But there was _no way_ that it was possible.

Danny _Fenton_. Danny _Phantom_.

It couldn't be that simple. For one thing, how could Danny be a ghost? He was human! But so were Vlad Masters and the other Dani Phantom...

But if Danny was a ghost, that would mean that she had dated her mortal enemy! She'd told him so many details about herself and let him get close to her. Had it all been a trick? Had Danny been trying to gain the upper hand on her? It couldn't have been. Danny had shared a lot with her too. Plus, there was no way that he could know that she was the Red Huntress.

The more Valerie tried to deny it, the more she failed to convince herself that Danny couldn't be part ghost. It would explain Sam, Tucker, and Kagome's familiarity around Phantom and other ghosts. Not to mention all the little disappearing acts that Danny had pulled off over the years. But she'd seen Phantom and Fenton in the same place at the same time before!

"Aw, _man_. This is gonna drive me crazy!" Valerie said and landed her jetsled in a shaded alleyway. Automatically recalling her jumpsuit and jetsled with the press of a button, Valerie started pacing the alley with her fingers running wildly through her curly locks. "It _can't_ _b_ e true. Right? No matter how much sense it makes. But if it is..." Valerie trailed off.

 _Why didn't he tell me?_

He met Kagome less than two years ago and _she_ knew! Why couldn't Danny tell her? Didn't he trust her more than Kagome? With a frustrated growl, Valerie kicked a garbage can and knocked it over with a loud clang.

Suddenly, she froze as a memory flashed in her mind. It was during that crazy ghost invasion years ago when Pariah Dark was thratening the town. Danny Phantom had unmasked her. He'd pulled off her mask right in front of her father! So Danny _did_ know! He knew that she had been hunting him all this time and he was still so nice and sweet to her...

Slowly, Valerie leaned against the brick wall behind her and pulled herself into a ball. "Danny... What happened to you to make you this way?" Valerie muttered.

"Are you alright, dearie?"

Glancing to the right, Valerie spotted an elderly woman walking towards her with a wooden cane supporting her right side. Standing quickly, Valerie dusted herself off while offering some quick dismissals. "I'm fine. Thank you for asking, ma'am."

"Are you sure? You look to be struggling with an internal dilemma," the woman hinted with a concerned expression. Upon closer examination, Valerie could tell that this woman was of Asian descent and quite frail. Maybe _she_ was the one in need of assistance...

"Really. I'm fine. I should probably be heading home. I don't want my dad to-" Valerie started and turned to leave.

"That was quite the ghost hunting equipment I saw you using."

Suddenly, Valerie stopped. Deliberately slowly, Valerie turned to face the woman. A pleasant smile hadn't left the woman's face. She walked a bit closer before tapping her cane against Valerie's sneaker. "It must be very advanced to be able to cloak itself in your everyday attire."

"Look. I don't know _what_ you're talking about, lady. I gotta go," Valerie said with a hard edge while quickly turning to rush from the alley.

"Are you really going to pretend that I do not know what I'm talking about? I know that I'm getting on in years, but I'm not senile yet. I can recognize a ghost hunter when I see one," the woman said.

Valerie scoffed and said over her shoulder, "Oh _yeah._ And why's that?"

"Because I am a ghost hunter as well."

Valerie blinked owlishly as she faced the street. Another ghost hunter? She was the only ghost hunter in town aside from the Fentons (if they could even be considered competent). Was this woman like Kagome's mother? When the elderly woman came to stand at her side, Valerie didn't shy away.

"The Red Huntress, is it? For someone so young, you have drive and potential. But it's easy to tell that you have no formal training."

"I've gotten all the training I need. I've been fighting ghosts for years."

"Not very many I'm sure. Meanwhile, I've been fighting ghosts since I was your age. Do you really think that there is _nothing_ you can gain from me?"

With a narrowed gaze, Valerie asked, "And what's in it for you?"

"The only thing I've ever wanted is to rid this world of ghosts. I've been pretty successful on my own turf. But here, I am a bit out of my element. I need the knowledge of a local. I'm hoping you would be the one to teach me and in return, I can teach you a few tricks of the trade."

Valerie remained quiet.

"A war is coming- between ghosts and humanity. My associates and I are going to make a stand to put these ghosts in their place. I was hoping to add you to our ranks."

"There are more of you?" Valerie asked with a raised brow.

"Dearie, you have _no_ idea," the elderly woman promised.

~:~

"Tucker, go the other way! I think I saw Danny back there!" Sam shouted while her face was pressed against the glass of the Specter Speeder windshield.

"Going!" Tucker shouted in response and did a quick U-turn. His brown eyes scanned the swirling green expanse of the Ghost Zone for any signs of his best friend. "Where did you see him?"

"I _swear_ I saw him," Sam promised with a voice full of conviction. It was quick, but she had definitely seen a flash of black and white. That _had_ to be Danny.

"Maybe your eyes were playing tricks on you, Sam?"

"I... I could have _sworn..."_

 _"_ Maybe Kagome found Danny? We should head back," Tucker suggested.

"What if she hasn't? We'd be wasting time that we could be looking for Danny," Sam objected.

"What if we head back and the second we get out of the Ghost Zone, we call Kagome. If she hasn't seen him, we head right back in. We can still look for Danny on the way," Tucker reasoned.

Sam wanted to resist. What if Danny was being attacked by his jerky older self or some other enemy? Then again, he was with Wulf- a friend. As long as he stayed away from less friendly ghosts, Danny shouldn't be in _too_ much trouble. "Okay, Tucker. But make it the quickest trip back ever," Sam replied.

"You got it," Tucker said with a grin and shifted gears. The Specter Speeder has managed to move forward about three feet before it jerked to a stop. Tucker and Sam's bodies jerked along with it, their seatbelts roughly digging into their chests.

"What the-" Sam started, but stopped short when she spotted who was in their way. Her and Tucker's eyes widened as they face face-to-face with Dan's wide smirk.

"Look who we have here. Sam and Tucker, to what do I owe this surprise visit?" Dan asked with a raised brow.

"Humans! You punks are trespassing in a ghost only area!" Walker accused as he flew into the teens' line of sight.

"Since when has this been _ghosts only?"_ Sam mocked with her a defiant light in her purple eyes.

"It's called the _Ghost_ Zone _. Duh,"_ Dan said with an exaggerated roll of his red eyes.

"Well, you guys are probably busy so we'll just be going," Tucker said with a nervous laugh and tried to reverse.

Dan's fingers gripped the Specter Speeder's front bumper, mangling the metal and making it whine in protest. " _Ah ah ah,"_ Dan said with a smirk, his fangs flashing. "You can't leave yet. Didn't you come here looking for someone?"

"Danny! What have you done with him?" Sam accused and pointed a finger at Dan.

"Learn your place, human! You're in our world now," Skulker warned while flying into view with his guns raised. Quickly shutting her mouth, Sam settled for giving the three ghosts a death glare.

"He's not here. I already took care of him," Dan hinted. Anticipating Sam's cry of anger and outrage, Dan used his ecto-energy to seal her and Tucker's mouths shut while binding their wrists and ankles. With a frown of annoyance, he turned to his lackeys and commanded, "Take them."

"Aren't we going to waste them? They're trespassing in our domain!" Skulker objected.

Dan bristled silently. _Our_ domain? ' _Not "our". Mine,'_ he thought with a growl. The idea that anyone but him held any control or right to this world or _any_ world was laughable.

"No human belongs in the Ghost Zone. They could stay if they were ghosts like us," Walker hinted with a malicious grin. Tucker and Sam simultaneity gained wide eyed stares.

Dan growled lowly in the back of his throat, before glaring at the pair from over his shoulder. "Do I need to _repeat_ myself? I'm taking them as leverage. Their fates are in my hands and mine alone. Is that clear?"

Rather than answer, Walker and Skulker gave each other a meaningful look before floating towards the Specter Speeder. Reaching intangible hands into the ride, they grabbed the two teens before hoisting them over their shoulders and floating away. Sam shouted wordlessly while twisting wildly in Skulker's grasp, her eyes promising doom to Dan and his lackeys. Tucker watched her struggle sadly before sending a quick plea for Danny to find them soon. Dan watched them go with wary eyes, looking for any sign of mutiny or mistrust. Once the they were far enough away, Dan turned back to the damage vehicle. With a disgusted sneer, he set the thing ablaze.

~:~

Danny paced anxiously as he held his cellphone to his ear and listened to the constant ringing tone.

" _You've reached Sam. Leave a message."_

 _"Dammit,"_ Danny cursed softly before ending the call. "Did you get through to Tucker?"

"No. Not yet. They are in another dimension. It makes sense that we can't get in contact with them," Kagome supplied while ending her call to Tucker's phone.

"I have to go find them. They could be in serious trouble," Danny decided with his face set in determination. He'd managed to make it out of the Ghost Zone relatively unharmed, but he wasn't so sure that Sam and Tucker would have the same fortune. There was no telling what his older self would do to them. He'd already tried to kill them _three times._

"I would advise against that," Kimiko inputted.

"You're _kidding_ right?" Danny balked.

"Danny, you're no longer welcome in the Ghost Zone. From what you described, it seems that you don't even have any allies that you can count on. Reentering the Ghost Zone would be a suicide mission that would most likely doom Sam and Tucker more than help," Kimiko reasoned.

Danny looked ready to argue further, but hesitated. He _had_ to find them. They were in this mess because of him! What if-

"Calm down, my boy. Kimiko and I will search for them," Vlad volunteered.

"I don't think the ghosts will treat you any better than me," Danny said with a roll of his eyes.

"We don't need them to. Vlad will be my navigator. I'll get to work on a locator spell. In the meantime, I want the two of you to stay _put_ ," Kimiko said and pointed an authoritative finger down at the floor of Vlad's living room.

"Mama?" Kagome questioned.

"I can't explain it. But something has been nagging at me for some time now. I would rather have the two of you as far away from trouble as possible," Kimiko said as she wrote a few Japanese characters on a sticky note paper.

"A sticky note?" Danny questioned.

"A protective ward," Kimiko corrected before imbuing the small sheet with her magic and walking to the front door. With Vlad, Danny and Kagome on her tail, Kimiko kept speaking, "This should prevent any ghosts from crossing the walls of the home."

"Be safe. We'll return shortly," Vlad said while embracing Kagome. Once he pulled away, he turned to Danny before placing both hands into the teenager's shoulders. "I don't think I have to warn you of what should happen were any thing to happen to my daughter?"

"I _got_ it, Vlad," Danny said and moved to brush the older man's hands away. But the intense look in Vlad's ocean blue eyes stopped him. His own icy blue eyes widened slightly.

"Stay safe, Daniel," Vlad requested before turning to leave. Kimiko stuck the paper to the door, causing a wave of blue energy to pulse through the walls of the home. Once she stepped out and shut the door behind her, the resulting silence weighed heavily on the teens.

"I knew that he cared about you," Kagome finally said to break the silence. While she smirked, Danny averted his gaze to the ground.

~:~

Valerie frowned deeply as she stared at the metal collar in her hands. She turned it over once while examining it critically. Her thoughts went back to what she had just learned.

 _For a clan of witches, they sure like to hang out in creepy dark buildings. Valerie examined what she could see in the basement, but she couldn't see much out of the ring of light that the single bulb in the room provided. "You can't expect me to really believe that witches are real. I mean... what's next? Fairies and dragons?" Valerie scoffed loudly at Kurai's back._

 _The older woman responded calmly while she busied herself with a wooden chest. "We're not what you would consider the run-of-the-mill witch. I have not lied to you, Valerie. I am real. My magic is real. Furthermore, the rising threat from those ghosts is real," Kurai said and pulled something black from the chest. She turned and approached Valerie slowly before offering a metal shackle to her._

 _"What's this?" Valerie asked and took the shackle. She held it up to the light and examined it this way and that._

 _"It's a collar. This metal is very receptive to a spell that makes it suppress all magic and make your job a bit easier," Kurai said._

 _Valerie's eyes widened in surprise. "You want me to put a collar on Danny?"_

 _"No, my dear. This is for the witch. I have faith that you can handle the ghost."_

 _"So... You want me to put a collar on Kagome and then what?" Valerie asked._

 _Kurai smiled. "Valerie, ghosts are evil, immoral creatures who do as they please with no regard for others. You know this. I simply want to rid the world of such unsightly monsters."_

 _"You don't need to convince me of your cause. I'm behind you one-hundred percent," Valerie said with a chuckle and smirk._

 _Kurai smiled brightly. "That's what I like about you, Valerie. You remind me of myself when I was your age. You just want to make the world a better place. Ghosts are in the way of that world. So, we're going to get rid of them- every last one of them. I have a plan to do this and for it to begin, we need one more piece of the puzzle. That's where you come in," Kurai said and tapped a wrinkly finger on the metal collar. Valerie nodded once before bowing lowly at the waist and striding from the room._

Once she had arrived at the mayor's mansion, Valerie stopped mid-air before descending into the the thicket surrounding the extravagant home.

 _Don't get too close to the home on your jet-sled. They'll hear you coming._

Kurai's voice was coming back to her at a time like this. The woman did have a point. Her sled wasn't the quietest model. Spying through a hole in the bush before her, Valerie tried to get a glimpse of the inside of the mansion. It looked like the living room, but no one was home. They had to be here. Rumor has it that the Takahashis has moved in with Vlad since their home was destroyed.

So where were they?

Suddenly, Valerie spotted Danny walking by while talking with his arms waving wildly. She ducked slightly, momentarily forgetting that she was well hidden. " _Danny is here. So where is..."_ Valerie whispered and tried to get a better view of the living room.

There she was.

Sitting on the couch and watching Danny pace the floor. She spoke up every once in a while, but whatever she was saying wasn't helping Danny calm down. When she got up and approached Danny, Valerie's gaze narrowed. The second Kagome pulled Danny in for a kiss, Valerie's eyes widened and she looked away angrily.

She had never really gotten over Danny. Once she had taken care of her ghost problem, she had fantasized about them picking up where they had left off but... Could she do that now? Could she be with Danny knowing that he's a _ghost?_

Witches are supposed to be the original ghost hunters. Obviously, _someone_ didn't get the message. " _I'm going to remind you_ ," Valerie promised silently and got up to for around the back of the mansion.

Several months ago, she had spent some time examining the specs of Vlad's mansion in a half-baked plan to try to gather proof on him and his ghostly secret. That knowledge was coming in handy now. She found the fuse box mounted on the back wall and quickly used the butt of her ecto-gun to break the padlock. "You're making this too easy, Vlad," Valerie chuckled and stuck a small microchip onto the switch for the main breaker.

Once she was positioned outside the back door, she pressed a button on her remote to activate the microchip. With watchful eyes, Valerie saw the lights in the mansion glow brightly before shutting off with a surge. Grinning, Valerie quickly started to pick the lock on the door. Lock picking wasn't one of her hidden talents, but she eventually made it inside.

" _You think it's a ghost?"_ Valerie heard Danny ask.

" _I doubt it. I can't sense anything. Even if there was a ghost, they can't get through the barrier,"_ Kagome replied.

Valerie crept quietly through the house towards the voices.

" _I'm gonna go look around,"_ Danny declared. Valerie froze.

" _You can't go outside. No ghosts in or out remember?"_ Kagome said. Valerie's eyes narrowed. What the heck was she talking about?

" _I hate just sitting here."_

Valerie heard a loud, frustrated exhale followed by silence. She was just outside the living room now.

" _I can go look around. It might just be a regular power outage though,"_ Kagome suggested. Good. Valerie tensed in preparation for jumping out once Kagome got close.

" _I don't think that's a good idea. What if-"_

 _"I'll just take a quick peek. You can watch me through the window."_

 _"I really don't like this. Kagome, wait!"_

Valerie could hear the footsteps getting closer. Her heart skipped a beat as the amount of adrenaline in her system spiked. With the open collar in her hand, Valerie poised herself for the pounce. The second she saw Kagome's foot poke out around the corner, Valerie jumped at the girl.

Her primary goal was to get the collar on her. She'd need to stop Kagome from using her magic! With her magic, Kagome was instantly at the advantage. Valerie took a few hits to the gut as she wrestled with Kagome before she successfully got the collar on. With the first phase of her mission completed, Valerie let the girl go and quickly branded her ecto-gun.

"Woah! Just stop! Relax! What are you doing?" Danny shouted with his hands in the air.

Valerie stared at him from behind her mask, her heart thumping loudly in her chest. "I've come for her. You're gonna come quietly and _don't_ try to any funny business. It won't work," Valerie warned and pointed her gun at Kagome's face.

"What's the matter with you!? I'm not a ghost!" Kagome exclaimed and tugged at the metal collar on her neck.

"I know that. I also know what you _really_ are," Valerie admitted. At the deer-in-headlights look on the teens' faces, Valerie could tell that they were starting to take her seriously.

"Okay. So what do you want? Ghost hunting equipment? Want to threaten my dad again, Valerie?" Kagome spat harshly.

Valerie's eyes widened in surprise behind her mask before she sighed. How did Kagome know? Had Danny told her? Or had Vlad? Whatever. It didn't matter anymore. She removed her mask before facing Kagome and Danny with an indecipherable expression.

"Valerie, please put down the ecto-gun. You don't know what you're doing," Danny reasoned while creeping towards Valerie slowly.

"I know _exactly_ what I'm doing, Danny. I'm getting rid of ghosts _once_ and for _all,"_ Valerie rebutted.

"Valerie, you don't understand what's going on here," Danny reasoned.

"I... I can't use my magic," Kagome admitted while tugging at the collar.

Danny's confused eyes looked between Kagome and Valerie. "I think I do understand, Danny," Valerie said before turning to Kagome. "Now, you're going to come with me or _else."_

Kagome rolled her eyes. "You think that just because you suppressed my magic that I can't still kick your butt?"

"You probably can put up a good fight. But I didn't really come to fight. I have a job to do, but before I finish it, there's something that I need to know..." Valerie trailed off before rounding on Kagome again. "Where's Danny Phantom?"

"How would I-" Kagome started but Valerie cut her off.

"I saw you with him in the school earlier. You made him appear out of nowhere and then you left with him. So, where. Is. He?" Valerie stressed.

This was a half-bluff at best. Valerie half-hoped that Danny would just fess up and tell her the truth. It hurt that he hadn't told her- that he had felt as if he couldn't trust her with such sensitive information. The other half of her still hoped that this was just one big joke and there was nothing ghostly about Danny Fenton.

"We don't know where he is, Valerie. Don't you see how crazy this sounds? You think _we_ know anything about Danny Phantom?" Danny tried to reason.

Valerie felt a the familiar prick of salty tears threatening to gather. She blinked rapidly to quell the urge before answering, "I _know_ that you do. You can either tell me the truth now, or _else."_

Valerie readied her weapon, causing it to whine as it charged up slowly. Her steely gaze was focused on Danny, a deep frown on her face. ' _Come on, Danny. Just tell me the truth.'_ Valerie saw Danny look from her, to Kagome, and back again. Finally, he dropped his arms at his side with a sigh. Valerie held her breath when she spotted a white ring around Danny's waist. His tee and jeans changed into a black and white jumpsuit, his hair turned white, and a pair of familiar neon green eyes stared back at her.

"So it is true. You are Phantom," Valerie said and glared.

"Valerie, I can explain-" Danny started.

" _Save it._ I don't need your excuses, Danny," Valerie said and activated a wrist gun on her extended arm. With lightning reflexes, she shot a small dart out of the wrist gun while reaching her other arm behind her.

Danny's eyes went wide as he watched Kagome's eyes roll back and she suddenly collapsed to the floor. Valerie let him rush over to her, a multitude of emotions threatening to drown her. Danny was a ghost. There was no denying it now. The only boy she had ever truly liked and cared about had been lying to her for so long. Even worse, he was part ghost- part _monster._ But she knew someone who could fix him.

"I'm so sorry, Danny," Valerie said in a soft tone. Danny lifted his gaze quickly, his eyes going wide. Before he could cry out to her, Valerie sucked him into her thermos before closing it shut. "Don't worry, Danny. You'll be back to normal soon."

~:~

Moi-Moi: Hey hey heyyyyy. I'm back! I promise to try to upload more frequently now. _Try._ I mean, I have the time. I just get so distracted and lazy. And then when I'm in the mood, there's a million other things to do. But this story WILL be completed.

Next time: " _I don't know who you are, but you won't get away with this!" Kagome shouted at the elderly woman with fury blazing in her eyes._

 _"Kagome, I'm your grandmother."_


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